Entries by Colin McGinn

Against Identity Theories

Against Identity Theories Would it shock you to learn that so-called identity theories are not identity theories? If so, prepare to be shocked (I was). Proponents of these theories called them identity theories, but they were mistaken about their true import. This puts them in a new light. Consider the following statements: “water is H2O”, […]

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Composers, Singers, and Instrumentalists

Composers, Singers, and Instrumentalists These three occupations are not commonly combined. Opera singers don’t compose and play an instrument as well as sing. Lead guitarists usually don’t sing as well as play. Composers are rarely performers of note. There are exceptions, but the demands of each occupation are liable to encroach on the other occupations. […]

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How to Prove the External World

How to Prove There is an External World Suppose you are doing metaphysics, working on which worlds are possible worlds. It occurs to you that no worlds can be immaterial; the idea makes no sense. Thus, you conclude that all worlds must be material. Your paradigms of the material are solid bounded objects in space. […]

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A New Proof of the External World

A New Proof of the External World It would be nice to be able to prove the existence of the external world (it would also be nice if there were a heaven). I am going to consider an argument that purports to do just that, not because I think it is sound, but because I […]

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Analysis of Perceptual Knowledge

Analysis of Perceptual Knowledge Suppose I see a bird in the sky, thereby coming to know there is a bird in the sky (of a certain shape and color). I don’t form the belief that there is a bird in the sky; I simply know by perceiving. I might not be a believer at all, […]

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Beatle-Philia

Beatle-Philia Why were the Beatles so good, so beloved? Why do they stand out from everyone else? You might think it was because they were super-talented: each of them was really good at what they did. I think the opposite is true: they were that good because they were not all that talented or accomplished. […]

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Dinosaur Evolution

Dinosaur Evolution I saw my first dinosaur skeleton in the late 1950s at the Natural History Museum in London on a family trip. I remember it as huge, alien, and dead; but undeniably impressive. I have seen many more such skeletons since. It has always seemed to me that a lot of evolution separates us […]

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