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Twin Earths
This is an animated video explaining Hilary Putnam’s Twin Earth thought experiment, where earth and its identical twin have not yet discovered the physical composition of water. On earth water is referred to as H20 and XYZ on the twin. So when an individual on earth says the word water it is referring to H20, not XYZ because the person has never seen XYZ. They share the same mental state yet are referring to two different things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE8NL9G_Fq8 -
The Meaning of "Meaning"
In Putnams early work, The Meaning of “Meaning” he introduces the the quote “meaning just ain’t in the head”. The quote tells us that even if two people share the same meaning of a word doesn’t mean they are talking about the same thing. This is further explained in the twin earths experiment. Putnam, H., 1975. “The Meaning of Meaning.” In Mind, Language and Reality; Philosophical Papers Volume 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press -
Brains in a vat
This animated video shows the brains in a vat thought experiment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO0sSJB1TrI&t=86s -
We are not Brains in Vat
The BIV thought experiment a brain is in a tank being controlled by a scientist and its computers. The machines send signals to the brain creating images and perceptions that feel very real. Within the realm of epistemology, Putnam was known for challenging the BIV theory. He argued that if we were BIVs it would be impossible for us to understand the meaning of certain words and there would have to be some sort of causal connection between the word and how it is perceived.