2027

Hilary Putnam (1926-2016)

By HolmesAMU

  • Hilary Putnam was born

    Hilary Putnam was born
    Hilary Putnam was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 31, 1926. His father, Samuel Putnam, was a Romance language scholar, columnist, and translator who worked for the American Communist Party's Daily Worker from 1936 to 1946. Putnam had a secular upbringing due to his father's communist beliefs, even though his mother, Riva, was Jewish. 54

  • Hilary Putnam's Education

    Hilary Putnam's Education
    Hilary Putnam graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in philosophy from Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After completing a dissertation on the concept of probability at UCLA under the supervision of Hans Reichenbach, he received his Ph.D. in 1951. 56

  • Hilary Putnam Marries Ruth Anna Hall, 1962

    Hilary Putnam Marries Ruth Anna Hall, 1962
    Ruth Anna Hall, a philosopher at Wellesley College, married Professor Putnam in 1962. She was survived by two sons, Samuel and Joshua, two daughters, Erika Putnam Chin and Maxima Kahn, and four granddaughters. 33

  • 1975-Putnam published "Philosophy and Our Mental Life"

    1975-Putnam published "Philosophy and Our Mental Life"
    Putnam released "Philosophy and Our Mental Life" in 1975. His contributions to the philosophy of mind have had a considerable impact, as he introduced the doctrine known as functionalism, which attempts to define mental states in terms of their functional roles relative to other mental states and behaviors. According to this doctrine, the mind is defined not by its substance but by its functions and functional organization. 67

  • 1976-Hilary Putnam proposed his theory of realism

    1976-Hilary Putnam proposed his theory of realism
    His defense of realism unites Putnam's philosophy. According to this belief, specific assertions, such as theories, beliefs, and superstitions, are objectively true or false. In 1976, he proposed replacing "metaphysical realism" with "internal realism." He was constantly revising previous opinions to make them more accurate because he was highly critical of himself. 52

  • 1981- Hilary Putnam Publishes Reason, Truth and History

    1981- Hilary Putnam Publishes Reason, Truth and History
    Hilary Putnam addresses philosophy's most fundamental and persistent issues in this book, including the nature of truth, knowledge, and rationality. His goal is to deconstruct the rigid thought categories that have always appeared to define and limit the permissible solutions to these problems. 43
    1. 1.De Gaynesford, Maximilian. Hilary Putnam. Routledge, 2014, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315712154.

  • 2016-Hilary Putnam's Passing

    2016-Hilary Putnam's Passing
    Hilary Putnam, a philosopher whose influence spanned many fields of thought, including mathematical logic, philosophy of mind and language, epistemology, and metaphysics, died on March 13, 2016, at the age of 89, in Arlington, Massachusetts. The cause was mesothelioma that had spread. 42
    2.Zeglen, Urszula M., and James. Conant. Hilary Putnam : Pragmatism and Realism. Routledge, 2002, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203996379.