Hilary Putnam

Abstract

Hilary Putnam is one of the most influential philosophers of recent times, and his authority stretches far beyond the confines of the discipline. He has had a dramatic influence on theories of meaning, semantic content, the nature of mental phenomena, on interpretations of quantum mechanics, theory-change, logic, mathematics, and on what shape we should desire for future philosophy. However, the diversity of Putnam's writings and his frequent spells of radical rethinking pose a considerable challenge to readers. De Gaynesford shows how these difficulties may be overcome by examining the whole of Putnam's career within its historical context in an accurate and accessible way. In so doing he reveals a basic unity in Putnam's work, achieved through repeated engagements with a small set of hard problems. By foregrounding this integrity, the book offers an account that is both true to Putnam and will be welcomed by students and philosophers alike as an aid to reading his work.

Revisitando a Terra Gêmea: reflexões sobre o externalismo semântico de Hilary Putnam

“…Segundo Maximiliam de Gaynesford, dois tipos de ataque foram lançados contra a posição de Putnam: "que ela é infundada porque os argumentos que a suportam são falhos, ou que ela é pouco desenvolvida porque os argumentos que a suportam podem ser estendidos" (GAYNESFORD, 2006;122). O primeiro tipo de ataque inclui, por exemplo, a argumentação de que a posição de Putnam dependa de certo essencialismo sobre os tipos naturais (ou que o que determina aquilo a que se referem os termos naturais esteja em essências existentes no mundo, que independem de interesses humanos), o que abriria a doutrina a todo tipo de ataque que diga respeito à existência dessas essências independentes, comuns desde Locke.…”