The Unconscious Body We are thought to have an unconscious mind, or minds. The idea is that we have two minds (or more) only one of which are we conscious of. We are aware of one mind but not of the other; hence, we know what is going on in the conscious mind but not […]
Mechanism, Mystery, and Miracle Locke thought that the external world is a mystery: we know there is such a world, but we don’t and can’t know how it works or what it’s like. Physics is a mysterious science (Newton agreed). But he didn’t think the mind is a mystery, specifically knowledge: he thought he knew […]
Belief and Religion It is possible to be religious and not believe in God, or gods: you just need to have religious practices but not theistic ontology. Atheistic religion is not a contradiction in terms. But can you be a theist and not be religious? That seems a more difficult undertaking: surely if you believe […]
I thought readers would be interested in this. Dear Colin McGinn, I have been following your work for many years with deep admiration and intellectual curiosity. Your profound contributions to philosophy—particularly in the areas of philosophy of mind, consciousness, and epistemology—have significantly shaped my own intellectual path. Not only your ideas, but also the clarity […]
Animal Dreams I have a close relationship with my pet parakeet Eloise. She likes to climb on my fingers and be enveloped in my hand; we play together every day. We are friends, companions. At night I carry her cage (with two other birds) to my study where I place it in a high place […]
L.A. I am worried that the presence of the military will provoke a confrontation in which protesters are killed. This will be a terrible tragedy, the end of human decency in America, and will deter any future protests. I can’t help wondering if that is the plan.
Naturephilia What kind of society is best? We have come to accept the concept of the “open society”: this is deemed better than the “closed society”. These terms were introduced by Henri Bergson in the 1930s and then popularized by Karl Popper in the 1950s. The best society is the most “open” one. But what […]
About Speciesism Speciesism is the prejudice that species is a morally relevant characteristic. Speciesism says that moral status is not supervenient on psychology but includes biological identity. Two individuals could be psychologically identical and yet not share their moral standing, because of a difference of species. In particular, identity of interests does not entail identity […]
Alcaraz versus Sinner Yesterday’s French Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner was the greatest tennis match ever played. No adjective can do it justice. You might think I am exaggerating, but this is the consensus view. Sinner is 23, Alcaraz 22—at the beginning of their tennis careers. The match lasted over five hours and had […]
Divine Bivalve I confess: I am an oyster fanatic. So are most people who eat oysters. I just read Oysters: A Celebration in the Raw (2016) by Jeremy Sewall and Marion Lear Swaybill, which lovingly surveys the world of oysters. The oyster is praised, revered, celebrated, worshipped and adored—by farmers and consumers alike. It always […]