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The beginning
Hilary Putnam was an American professor of philosophy at Princeton, MIT, and Harvard, born in Chicago he spent his earlier years in life in Paris. His works spans a broad range of topics including science, logic, and mathematics (Edinburgh University Press). -
Analytic-Synthetic Distinction
• Putnam’s first philosophical interest was the discussion about the analytic-synthetic distinction (Dell’Utri,506) influenced by Quine, he defended some version of the analytic/synthetic distinction. -
Functionalism
As one of the inventors of functionalism Putnam stated “I began to apply images suggested by the theory of computation to the philosophy of mind, and in a lecture delivered in 1960 I suggested a hypothesis under the name functionalism: that the mental states of a human being are computational states of the brain” (Putnam). Later on he came to abandon this view stating “I later rejected this hypothesis, but it continues to be popular” (Putnam). https://youtu.be/JSmaNnU3uAI -
Semantic Externalism
Semantic externalism, the view that the meaning of a concept is not fixed by the internal mental states of the speaker.
Putnam writes that this “something” is an essence, and that the essence is the important thing to consider when determining what a natural-kind term refers to. This theory provided the background for Putnam’s groundbreaking semantic externalism as articulated in his landmark paper “The Meaning of ‘Meaning’” (1975) (Hickey, 12-13). -
Model-Theoretic Argument
Model-theoretic argument, Putnam has employed this argument against metaphysical realism, it has fascinated many philosophers ever since its first appearance in 1976. Already in his first presentation of the model-theoretic argument, he considered, and quickly dismissed, a possible objection he expected his opponents to make (Douven, 2).