Meinong, Alexius (1853–1920)

Austrian philosopher who held that nonexistents – like the golden mountain, the round square, or dragons – have classifiable natures. He also distinguished many different types of existence, most notably subsistence, which he believed is the type of existence possessed by states of mind.

Meinong was professor of philosophy at Graz from 1889 until his death. His works include Über Annahmen/On Assumptions 1902. His philosophical psychology influenced English philosophers Bertrand Russell and G E Moore.