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Hilary Putnam
Hilary Putnam was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1926. Putnam was born to Riva and Samuel Putnam as an only child. -
Education
Putnam studied philosophy and mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania. He then went on to attend graduate school in philosophy at Harvard University and UCLA. In 1951, after writing a dissertation on the concept of probability, Putnam obtained his Ph.D. -
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Sharing His Knowledge
After obtaining his Ph.D, Putnam went on to teach at several universities over the next 14 years. He received tenure in both the Department of Philosophy and Department of Mathematics in 1960 from Princeton University and then after that at M.I.T from 1961-1965. -
The Meaning of 'Meaning'
Putnam publishes a classic paper called "The Meaning of 'Meaning'" which suggests that meanings are not purely mental entities(images), but they are rooted in external reality. This theory is known as semantic externalism. -
Realism
Putnam was notorious for being very self-critical and self-reflective, constantly looking back and revising his earlier positions. Perhaps it was these characteristics that led to Putnam's philosophy of realism. He proposed that 'metaphysical realism' be replaced with 'internal realism'. His defense states that assertions like superstitions, beliefs, or theories are objectively true or false. -
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Furthur Publishings
Over the course of his life Putnam went on to publish many wonderful theories.
Some of these publications include:
Realism With a Human Face (1990)
Words and Life (1994)
Ethics Without Ontology(2004)
Jewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life: Rosenzweig, Buber, Levinas, Wittgenstein (2008)
Philosophy in the Age of Science: Physics, Mathematics, and Skepticism (2012) (1)All of those writings convey a deep sense of moral commitment that had become as characteristic of Putnam’s thinking. -
Work Citations
Harvard University Department of Philosophy
https://philosophy.fas.harvard.edu/people/hilary-putnam (1)Britannica Hilary Putnam American Philosopher
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam#ref323609 Princeton University- The American Philisophical Association
Realism and Reason
https://www.princeton.edu/~hhalvors/teaching/phi520_f2012/putnam1977.pdf
