In 1990 Hilary Putnam wrote that ‘it cannot be the case that scientific knowledge (future fundamental physics) is absolute and nothing else is; for fundamental physics cannot explain the possibility of referring to or stating anything, including fundamental physics itself’ Readers of Philosophy will also be aware of Thomas Nagel's doubts about the ability of our current modes of scientific and philosophical thinking to encompass the subjective at all (expressed most recently in our current issue). Even after the most strenuous efforts of contemporary philosophy of mind, many continue to feel cheated: has anything been said which throws light on just how it is that consciousness, thought and reference are possible? Have subjectivity and the intentionality of thinking been adequately characterized?