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Putnam's lifetime
Hilary Putnam lived to be 89 years old. -
Education
Putnam studied at the University of Pennsylvania and studied mathematics and philosophy. He later attended graduated school at Harvard University and the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and gradated in philosophy. -
Davis Putnam Algorithm
Martin Davis and Hilary Putnam both worked together to create what we know today as the "Davis Putnam Algorithm (dpll)" this is a procedure used to check the validity of a formula in math.
Here is a demonstration.
https://youtu.be/8_Df6U6aUtQ -
Antiwar movement
Putnam played a significant role in the antiwar movement that opposed U.S. from fighting in the Vietnam war. He participated in the Progressive Labor Party which was a maoist group. -
Philosophy at Harvard
Putnam taught philosophy at Northwestern University, Princeton University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology up until 1976 which is when he joined the philosophy department of Harvard University. -
Attack on Metaphysical Realism
Putnam critiqued his own previous view on Metaphysical Realism by wanting to replace it with Internal Realism instead. -
Brains in a Vat
Putnam created an experiment to support the theory "to raise the problem of skepticism with respect to the external world in a modern way" which co-sides with his theory on "Meaning." Here is a video to better explain. https://youtu.be/zO0sSJB1TrI -
Words and Life
Putnam published a book titled "Words and Life" supporting the idea that reductionism, scientism, and old-style disenchanted naturalism tend to be obstacles to philosophical progress. -
Retired
Putnam eventually retired from Harvard at age 74. He retired as Cogan University professor Emeritus. -
Philosophy in the age of Science: Physics, Mathematics, and Skepticism
Putnam did not support scientism or its way of thinking, he preferred seeing things from a philosophical perspective instead. Hence, why he created the book "Philosophy in the age of Science: Physics, Mathematics, and Skepticism" -
Putnam Dies
On March 13th, 2016 Hilary Putnam Passed away in Arlington, Massachusetts. -
Works Cited
Ben-Menahem, Y. (2022, July 27). Hilary Putnam. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam
(2016). YouTube. Retrieved September 9, 2022, from https://youtu.be/zO0sSJB1TrI.