The Threefold Cord: Mind, Body, and World (John Dewey Essays in Philosophy) by Hilary Putnam

by Hilary Putnam

Dos de las cuestiones que durante siglos han ocupado a los filósofos han sido la relación entre nuestras percepciones y la realidad, y la relación entre mente y cuerpo. En la Trenza de tres cabos, la mente, el cuerpo y el mundo Hilary Putnam, uno de los filósofos contemporáneos mas destacados, trata en profundidad ambos temas. En la primera parte del libro, Putnam examina el problema del ¿es posible la verdad objetiva? Critica los enfoques empirista e idealista mostrando claramente que comparten un falso, supuesto, es decir, que no podemos percibir directamente el mundo, y a partir de los trabajos de J.L.Austin y de W. James desarrolla un alternativa que denominan “realismo natural”. En la segunda parte, Putnam profundiza en la cuestión de la relación ¿es la mente independiente de nuestra interacción con el mundo físico? La trenza de tres cabos nos muestra los falsos planteamientos en que se apoya todo el debate contemporáneo e intenta reformularlo apoyándose en la obra última de Wittgenstein. Con su habitual perspicacia e ingenio, Putnam ofrece soluciones originales a algunos de los problemas más complejos de la filosofía y señala un camino intermedio entre la metafísica reaccionaria y el relativismo irresponsable para desatar los nudos gordianos en los que se ha enredado la filosofía en cuestiones de epistemología.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Psychology, Metaphysics, Academic

Paperback Bunko

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Hilary Whitehall Putnam was an American philosopher, mathematician, and computer scientist who was a central figure in analytic philosophy from the 1960s until his death, especially in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and philosophy of science. He was known for his willingness to apply an equal degree of scrutiny to his own philosophical positions as to those of others, subjecting each position to rigorous analysis until he exposed its flaws. As a result, he acquired a reputation for frequently changing his own position. Putnam was Cogan University Professor Emeritus at Harvard University.

Reviews

[Alex Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although like other analytic philosophers, Putnam seeks to explain in plain language, there is still much in this book that would be a challenge to most any reader. Beyond the questions of mind and body that Putnam explores there is an emotional content to this book as well.

Putnam does thoroughly seek explanations for the relation between mind, body and world debunking and weeding out many of the assumptions that analytic philosophers have about the nature of mind and body, qualia, and so on. He shows us that ultimately such terms are for our convenience and as such, carry no consistency. Attempts to force consistency lead to awkward positions philosophically. We should take our examinations seriously but our conclusions with a grain of salt. If anything he draws closer to Bergson in the end of the book, seeing memory as an integral part of our world interaction. Ultimately each of the three cords are too entangled to be fully separated and considered in isolation.

While Putnam is pretty impressive with the depth of his reasoning, what struck me most was the undercurrent of feeling that ran through this book. Like other books of philosophy that are notoriously difficult, there is still a depth of feeling from the author. In this book, Putnam is measured but his enthusiasm and optimism are like that of a young boy seeing Disneyland for the first time, although his curiosity is more like that of a scientist entering an alien spacecraft for the first time.

[Pavlogreen]

Segund vez este año que leo el libro. He querio releerlo para ver cómo cambiaba mi experiencia y comprensión después de unos meses y sobre todo tras la lectura de otros libros y artículos en los que había visto alguna relación con este. No solo he entendido mejor las tesis básicas del libro, sino que siento que ahora les puedo sacar mucho más provecho filosófico. Tendré que seguir leyendo a Putnam y a sus autores de referencia para profundizar más en las cuestiones que aquí se tratan. ¡Démosle candela!

[Shane Wagoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An innovative approach to the mind body problem that utilizes the insights and benefits of Wittgenstein without attempting to reduce the problem to a mere language game. Unfortunately, unnecessary tangents and jargon, as well as some significant oversimplifying regarding certain philosophical positions (see Fodor's review) make this book less grand than it may have otherwise been.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Putnam sides with J.L. Austin and John McDowell on many contemporary issues in philosophy of mind and language. He pieces together their ideas into a theory that the world does not come equipped with pre-structured metaphysical realities but that structure must be imposed on it by the human mind and its conceptual schemes. Our every day interactions with real world objects confirm the truth values of what we believe to exist. In other words, the world we live in provides sense to the intentional and rational functioning of the mind. A good read for any fans of Putnam's later work on direct realism and pragmatism.

[Charity Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for ideas, but 1 or 2 for readability. I had to skim some sections to get a feel for where he was going so I knew where it was important to focus. I recommend anyone wanting to do the same skipping first to one of the very final sections (p. 169 in my copy) called "the purposes of the account in this book". My quick take: mind is not an object/noun but a doing/verb (via John Dewey). Mind does not interface with reality like seeing an internal movie screen but rather the mind is the transactions of seeing, feeling, etc. Fascinating stuff to think about.

[Thomas Zwilling]

30th birthday present from a friend (shoutout to Joe). Putnam is generally a lucid writer, despite the inherit difficulty of the ideas, and he's working on issues closely related to stuff I know more about but from just a different enough approach to be intriguing. Giving strong consideration to becoming a #HilaryMan.

[Fernando Grumicker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilary Putnam é certamente um autor que sabe escrever conferências, mas também, possui uma profunda compreensão de teorias filosóficas e modos de refutações. Corda Tripla é uma dessas obras fundamentais da filosofia analitica

[Zedder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fodor's review of this book is right on.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just linked too may good parts of various literature, Ecclesiasties, Grapes of Wrath, ... on and on.