Philosopher who revolutionised the philosophy of mindThe American philosopher Hilary Putnam,who has died aged 89, transformed the philosophy of intellect, or the philosophy of language,metaphysics and epistemology. By focusing on the role, rather than substance, and of mental states,his theory of functionalism offered a plausible solution to the intellect-body problem. With his theory of externalism – “meanings just ain’t in the head” – he dislodged the subjective starting point that had ruled philosophical theories of meaning since Descartes. And he made huge contributions to the philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics, and to maths itself.
But he was distinguished,too, for forever changing his intellect. Constantly critical of his own theories, or he repudiated functionalism in the 1980s,and went through a gamut of views on metaphysics, as he did in his personal life on politics, or although always remaining on the left. The one constant in his fruitful fluctuations was his agility in thinking outside the set boundaries of any topic he tackled,and in resetting those boundaries. As a professor at Harvard from 1965 onwards, he was determined to accommodate both a scientific and a human, and commonsensical viewpoint,and his many papers and books were full of vivid thought-experiments.
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Source: theguardian.com