Hilary Putnam

By SaraWest333

  • Date of Birth

    Date of Birth
    Hilary Putnam was born on July 31, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois. “He was a leading American philosopher who made major contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, and the philosophy of logic” (Ben-Menahem, 2024). Putnam is most recognized for his semantic externalism and consistent endorsement of realism, or the idea that knowledge and truth are objective.

  • College Degrees

    He attended Philadelphia's Central High School and went on to the University of Pennsylvania to study philosophy and mathematics. Later, he went to Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for doctoral study in philosophy.

  • Mathematics

    In 1961, Putnam, Martin Davis, and Julia Robinson supplied the foundation for a proof that the problem is unsolvable, which was finished in 1970 by Yuri Matiyasevich. Putnam was actively engaged in the antiwar movement of the 1960s, which opposed American involvement in the Vietnam War. He participated actively in both the Maoist Progressive Labor Party and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), but by the early 1970s he had grown weary of far-left political belief.

  • Professor Putnam

    Up until 1976, Putnam taught philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, and Northwestern University. He worked on the task of developing a general algorithm for the solution of Diophantine equations, one of the twenty-three unsolved mathematical problems that David Hilbert had listed in 1900.

  • Realism

    The most pronounced change occurred in 1976, when he launched an attack on the view he called “metaphysical realism,” recommending that “internal realism” be adopted in its stead. In turn, internal reality was also changed. As time went on, it was abundantly evident that Putnam's dedication to realism triumphed over the subtle distinctions between the many forms of realism he supported. The central meaning to all his realisms is the most obvious sign of this fundamental stability.

  • Pragmatism and Positivism

    This video covers Hilary Putnam’s view on pragmatism and positivism. Putnam's views on pragmatism and positivism were characterized by a rejection of simplistic accounts of truth and meaning. Instead, he emphasized the intricate relationship between language, thought, and reality, advocating for a more nuanced understanding that takes into account the complexities of human experience and inquiry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNsMP-Jj5Pw

  • Passed away

    Hilary Putnam passed away on this day. The cause of death was due to metastasized mesothelioma. He was Samuel and Riva Putnam's only child. In addition to being an avid communist, his father was a writer and translator who wrote articles for the Communist Party of the United States of America's (CPUSA) daily worker.

  • Sources

    americanphilosopher. “Putnam on Pragmatism and Positivism.” YouTube, 30 Oct. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNsMP-Jj5Pw. Accessed 7 June 2024.
    Ben-Menahem, Yemima. “Hilary Putnam | American Philosopher.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Apr. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam.