How Old Is The Mind? (Part 1)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the concept of the mind, and how it's changed since the time of the early Greeks. He notes that Descartes was the first to say intellect, soul and mind are one and the same thing.
How Old Is The Mind? (Part 2)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam expands on his views about the mind, noting that Freud and most others in the psychology arena disputed the notion that the functioning of the mind is entirely conscious. Professor Putnam adds that with very few exceptions,...
Quantum Mechanics
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the challenge philosophers face in trying to interpret scientific functions --such as quantum mechanics-- when the effects are observable, but the function itself is not.
Scientific Theories and Realism
Philosopher Hilary Putnam argues that it is futile for philosophers of science to try to come up with a single, one-size-fits-all model that can be used to validate all scientific theories.
Scientific Realism
Philosopher Hilary Putnam calls himself a scientific realist for a number of reasons, including his contention that there's no serious difference in the reality status of scientific objects and common sense objects. Even with respect to observabilit...
Philosophy Over Time
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about philosophy since the time of Socrates. He notes that one constant about philosophy since the days of the ancient Greeks has been its concern with thinking carefully about how to live.
Perception
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about re-thinking his view of perception. He states that he's moving towards "direct realism"--the notion that we actually perceive real properties of things, rather than sensations conceived of as intermediaries.
What is Philosophy?: Relationship of Philosophy to Other Fields of Thought
What is philosophy? How is it related to other fields of thought? How is it different? In response to these questions, nine preeminent scholars create an insightful view of philosophy and the role it plays in contemporary society.
Brain in a Vat (Part 1)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam explains his "brain in a vat" theory. This theory calls into question basic human assumptions about knowledge and reality on the grounds that we have no way of knowing if what we think we see and experience and believe to b...
Is Mind Distinct from Body?: Gilbert Ryle and Logical Behaviorism
With the emergence of the science of psychology in the 20th century, it is believed that thoughts and feelings can be translated into objective units scientists can observe. One advocate, British philosopher Gilbert Ryle who wrote a famous put-down ...