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A baby is born
Hilary Putnam, born in Chicago Illinois, to Samuel and Riva Putnam. His father was a well-known writer and translator. Samuel was also a writer for a communist paper but, little is said on whether this played a role on them moving to France and then returning to Philadelphia in 1934 or Hilary’s up bringing. -
From Student to Teacher
Hilary Putnam received his Ph.D. in 1951 from UCLA where he worked with Hans Reichenbach. After graduating, he taught at Northwestern University (1951-1952) then at Princeton University (1953-1961). It was while working at Princeton that he received tenure in both Mathematics and Philosophy. -
Brain in a Vat
Possibly, his most noticeable work, Hilary proposed an attempt to dispute skepticism on the Rene Descartes’s evil demon by Gilbert Harman which, was later called the “brain in a vat” (BIV). Hilary proposed the thought that a skeptic could never know if they were a BIV. The computer would never give them the information such as, “they are a brain or vat” or even the images of brains or vats making it impossible to ever prove one is a BIV. -
Enter the Matrix
Though, this topic has been discussed, in papers class and film, for ages the movie series The Matrix brought the theories into mainstream light. The movie highlighted simplified versions from both sides of the arguments, but the true effect was the resurgent of the argument its self. -
Impacting Philosophy
Putnam’s later work became increasingly focused in American pragmatism, Jewish philosophy, and ethics, thus, engaging with a wider array of philosophical traditions. He also displayed an interest in meta-philosophy, seeking to "renew philosophy" from what he identifies as narrow and inflated concerns. -
The loss of a great mind
Hilary Putnam passed away from lung cancer. Not only a teacher of science but also encompassing the wisdom that comes from aesthetics, ethics and religion -
citations
“Department of Philosophy.” Harvard University Department of Philosophy, philosophy.fas.harvard.edu/people/hilary-putnam.
McKinsey, Michael. “Skepticism and Content Externalism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 23 May 2018, plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-content-externalism/#PutnArguAgaiBIVSkep.
“Hilary Putnam.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Putnam. -
Videos
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrExo.54gpca5AA7Vo2nIlQ?p=hilary+putnam&hsimp=yhs-pty_email&hspart=pty&fr=yhs-pty-
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