-
Hilary Putnam was an incredible Philosopher who made major contributions in the study of mind, language, logic, epistemology, philosophy of science and philosophy of mathematics.
He was known for carefully examining and rigorously question his own work as well as the work of others and bare their deficiencies. De, Gaynesford, Maximilian. Hilary Putnam, Taylor & Francis Group, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central, www.ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=1900177. -
Putnam defended his theory that same mental states can be realized by different physical states giving it the name of multiple realizability; meaning people can experience pain differently based on how their nervous system responds to it.
He compared the mind to computers; hardware/brain, software/mind. Ben-Menahem, Yemima. Philosophy of mind of Hilary Putnam. Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.2023 -
Putnam revealed that words have a meaning vector that come from specific groups in language to refer to and cannot be understood without a reference; he referred this as semantic holism.
To prove that meaning was broad, he gave the example of 2 persons tasing water. 1 would try simple water and the other water with a substance but both refer to it as water. “The Meaning of Meaning; Hilary Putnam.” The Economist (London), vol. 418, no. 8982, 2016, p. 106–. -
Skepticism is impossible; Putnam argued using "brain in a vat" scenario, which pictures a brain hooked to a computer to perfectly simulate experiences of the world.
He was heavily criticized because he argued that one's concept of the world and reality is foolish, and humans are limited to their own theoretical plots. Seaman, Bill, and Otto E. Rossler. “The Case of the Brains in a Vat – Hilary Putnam.” Neosentience, Intellect Books Ltd, 2011. -
