Meinong - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Alexius Meinong (1853-1920), an Austrian philosopher and psychologist, stands as one of the most provocative thinkers in the history of philosophy, known for his revolutionary theory of objects and his fearless exploration of the metaphysical frontier between existence and non-existence. As the founder of object theory (Gegenstandstheorie), Meinong challenged fundamental assumptions about what can be meaningfully discussed in philosophy, arguing that non-existent objects deserve as much philosophical attention as existent ones.
Born in Lemberg, Austria (now Lviv, Ukraine), Meinong studied under Franz Brentano at the University of Vienna, where he encountered the philosophical tradition that would shape his intellectual journey. In 1882, he established the first psychological laboratory in Austria at the University of Graz, marking the beginning of a career that would bridge the gap between psychological investigation and philosophical speculation. His early work on psychological methodology and value theory laid the groundwork for his more radical later contributions.
Meinong's most influential contribution, detailed in his 1904 work "Über Gegenstandstheorie" (On Theory of Objects), introduced what would later be dubbed "Meinong's jungle" – a philosophical realm populated by all conceivable objects, including those that don't exist (like round squares) and those that cannot exist (like perpetual motion machines). This theory, while initially dismissed by many contemporaries, including Bertrand Russell, has experienced a remarkable renaissance in contemporary philosophy, particularly in discussions of fictional truth and impossible objects. Meinong's insistence that "there are objects of which it is true that there are no such objects" continues to challenge our understanding of reference and meaning.
The legacy of Meinong's thought extends far beyond traditional metaphysics, influencing fields as diverse as computer science, artificial intelligence, and literary theory. His work on emotional presentation (Emotionalvorstellung) anticipated modern theories of emotional intelligence, while his analysis of assumptions (Annahmen) contributed to the development of modal logic. Today, as philosophers grapple with questions of virtual reality, artificial consciousness, and the nature of truth in a post-truth era, Meinong's insights into the reality of the non-existent seem more relevant than ever. What might this Austrian philosopher, who dared to systematize the impossible, teach us about navigating our increasingly complex relationship with reality and fiction?