Alexius Meinong was an Austrian philosopher born in 1853, known for his work in the field of philosophy of mind and ontology. He is best recognized for his theory of objects, which posits that there are different kinds of objects, including those that do not exist in reality, such as fictional characters or abstract concepts. Meinong's most notable contribution is the idea of "Meinong's Jungle," a metaphor for the realm of non-existent objects. He argued that we can meaningfully talk about things that do not exist, challenging traditional views in metaphysics. His work has influenced various areas, including analytic philosophy and existentialism.