Natural Laws and Human Language
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Yemima Ben-Menahem
Abstract
The paper addresses an apparent tension in Putnam’s philosophy between, on the one hand, his realism, which suggests an objective understanding of natural laws, and, on the other hand, his acknowledgment of the role of human language - in particular its sensitivity to context and personal experience - in shaping our beliefs and methods of justification. Understanding Putnam’s position on the relation between human language and objective reality also involves examining his views on reduction and non-scientific truth - issues that he was deeply concerned with in his later philosophy.
Abstract
The paper addresses an apparent tension in Putnam’s philosophy between, on the one hand, his realism, which suggests an objective understanding of natural laws, and, on the other hand, his acknowledgment of the role of human language - in particular its sensitivity to context and personal experience - in shaping our beliefs and methods of justification. Understanding Putnam’s position on the relation between human language and objective reality also involves examining his views on reduction and non-scientific truth - issues that he was deeply concerned with in his later philosophy.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of Abbreviations VII
- An Introduction to Hilary Putnam 1
- Introduction to this Volume 47
- Putnam’s Proof Revisited 63
- Language, Meaning, and Context Sensitivity: Confronting a “Moving-Target” 89
- Externalism and the First-Person Perspective 107
- Putnam on Trans-Theoretical Terms and Contextual Apriority 131
- Mathematical Internal Realism 157
- The Labyrinth of Quantum Logic 183
- Fulfillability, Instability, and Incompleteness 207
- Putnam’s Aristotle 227
- Davidson and Putnam on the Antinomy of Free Will 249
- Putnam on Radical Scepticism: Wittgenstein, Cavell, and Occasion- Sensitive Semantics 263
- Natural Laws and Human Language 289
- Balance in The Golden Bowl: Attuning Philosophy and Literary Criticism 309
- Bibliography 331
- Contributors 349
- Index 353
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of Abbreviations VII
- An Introduction to Hilary Putnam 1
- Introduction to this Volume 47
- Putnam’s Proof Revisited 63
- Language, Meaning, and Context Sensitivity: Confronting a “Moving-Target” 89
- Externalism and the First-Person Perspective 107
- Putnam on Trans-Theoretical Terms and Contextual Apriority 131
- Mathematical Internal Realism 157
- The Labyrinth of Quantum Logic 183
- Fulfillability, Instability, and Incompleteness 207
- Putnam’s Aristotle 227
- Davidson and Putnam on the Antinomy of Free Will 249
- Putnam on Radical Scepticism: Wittgenstein, Cavell, and Occasion- Sensitive Semantics 263
- Natural Laws and Human Language 289
- Balance in The Golden Bowl: Attuning Philosophy and Literary Criticism 309
- Bibliography 331
- Contributors 349
- Index 353
