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Birth
Hilary Putnam was born on July 31, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois to the parents of Samuel and Riva (nee Sampson) Putnam. -
Ph.D. in Philosophy
In 1951, Hilary Putnam earned his Ph.D. after completing his graduate work and dissertation in Philosophy. -
Advocation
Putnam was a huge supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and was strongly against the Vietnam War, so in 1963 he established a faculty and student anti-war committee at MIT (Marquard, 2016). -
Realism
Out of all of Putnam's work, one of the most important points that he made was through his argument about realism. He proposed that metaphysical realism be replaced by internal realism in 1976 because it was more correct (Ben-Menahem, 2001). However, he continued to make changes to the idea of internal realism because he was harsh on his own work, trying to ensure that it was as perfect and correct as possible. -
End of a Career
When Hilary Putnam was 73 years old, he decided to retire from being a professor at Harvard University. He was the Cogan University Professor Emeritus and though he retired from this position, he continued to work diligently until his death in 2016 (Gazetteterrymurphy, 2023). -
Death
Hilary Putnam lived a fulfilling life, dying at the age of 89 years old in Arlington, Massachusetts. -
References
Gazetteterrymurphy. (2023, November 8). Hilary Whitehall Putnam, 89. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/11/hilary-whitehall-putnam-89/ Marquard, B. (2016, April 26). Hilary Putnam, 89, Harvard philosopher of uncommon breadth. BostonGlobe.com. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/04/25/hilary-putnam-harvard-philosopher-uncommon-breadth-dies/XW9QrY12LCdOM6B3dCHM2H/story.html -
References
Ben-Menahem, Y. (2001, December 21). Hilary Putnam | Biography, Realism, Functionalism, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam