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Birth
Hilary Putnam was born on July 31 in Chicago, Illinois. -
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Early Life
In 1927, his family moved to France where he spent the first years of his childhood. He returned to the United States in 1933 and settled in Philadelphia, marking the beginning of his educational journey. -
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Education and Early Academic Career
Putnam earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948 and completed his Ph.D. at UCLA in 1951. His dissertation, "The Meaning of the Concept of Probability in Application to Finite Sequences," was supervised by Hans Reichenbach, a leading figure in logical positivism (Ben-Menahem). -
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Contributions to Mathematics and Computer Science
Outside of philosophy, Putnam made substantial contributions to mathematics and computer science. Notably, he co-developed the Davis–Putnam algorithm for the Boolean satisfiability problem and contributed to the proof demonstrating the unsolvability of Hilbert's tenth problem, advancing the field of computability theory. -
Development of Multiple Realizability and Functionalism
Putnam's significant work in the philosophy of mind emerged in this decade with his theory of multiple realizability and the development of functionalism (Ben-Menahem). These contributions challenged type-identity theory and argued for the idea that mental states can be realized in various physical forms. -
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Anti-War Activism and Political Involvement
Putnam became an active opponent of the Vietnam War and a supporter of the American Civil Rights Movement. He organized anti-war committees at MIT and Harvard and joined the Progressive Labor Party, actively participating in campus protests until he distanced himself from the PLP in 1972 (Philosophy Overdose). -
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Turn to Realism and Internal Realism
During the early 1980s, Putnam developed his concept of internal realism, which posited that truth and reference are not fixed by external reality but are instead internal to our conceptual schemes (O’Grady). -
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Return to Harvard and Publications
Notable publications include "Realism with a Human Face" (1990) and "Renewing Philosophy" (1992), where he further explored the intersections of philosophy, language, and science, emphasizing the human aspect of philosophical inquiry (O’Grady). -
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Later Years
Putnam retired from teaching in 2000 but continued to be active in academia. He published extensively on philosophy, religion, and social issues. -
Death
Hilary Putnam passed away on March 13, 2016, in Arlington, Massachusetts, leaving behind a legacy of profound philosophical and scientific contributions.