What this is
Cognitive closure is the idea that some questions may have perfectly real answers that are permanently beyond a mind’s conceptual reach. Colin McGinn applied it to consciousness in “Can We Solve the Mind–Body Problem?” (Mind, 1989): the link between brain and experience may be entirely natural, yet unknowable to creatures with our cognitive faculties — a stance critics nicknamed “mysterianism” (developed for general readers in The Mysterious Flame, 1999).
Current conversations
- Closure vs. early-stage science: is our failure to explain consciousness evidence of closure? — PhilPapers: Cognitive Closure (recent authors listed there include Michael Vlerick, Maarten Boudry, Erhan Demircioglu)
- Closure beyond consciousness (e.g., in aesthetics and ethics — Jerrold Levinson appears in the category) — to research
- Relation to the explanatory gap and “what it’s like” — PhilPapers: Explaining Consciousness?
Why it matters here
McGinn is one of the Director’s core authors (see Logical Properties in Readings).
Suggested learning path
- SEP: Consciousness for background on the explanatory gap
- Colin McGinn's cognitive-closure argument: key text to research
- Critical replies: to research
My thoughts
Notes here.
Discussion
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Media
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Sources