Renewing Philosophy

by Hilary Putnam

Hilary Putnam, one of America’s most distinguished philosophers, surveys an astonishingly wide range of issues and proposes a new, clear-cut approach to philosophical questions―a renewal of philosophy. He contests the view that only science offers an appropriate model for philosophical inquiry. His discussion of topics from artificial intelligence to natural selection, and of reductive philosophical views derived from these models, identifies the insuperable problems encountered when philosophy ignores the normative or attempts to reduce it to something else.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

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

[Pavlogreen]

Aunque quizá sea menos claro de lo que debería, Putnam sin duda es un maestro de la filosofía, en el sentido de que ofrece aftitudes más que ideas concretas, cierra caminos impracticables y anima a recorrer sendas que sí merece la pena seguir. En Cómo renovar la filosofía esto se ve mejor que nunca. En vez de condenarnos a la mediocridad presuntuosa del cientificismo o la irresponsabilidad autorrefutante del relativismo, Putnam nos ofrece una vía de escape que pasa por poner la filosofía a la altura de la vida humana (de la persona de a pie, no del superhombre) y plantearse desde ahí los problemas normativos que surgen de la ciencia, la ética y la política. La clave de este viaje no debería ser la certeza, sino la confianza en el mundo y entre las personas, para poder lograr el mejor conocimiento posible y unas sociedades justas.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putnam for President. Even better on rereading.