CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH
The paper deals with the relation between realism and (neo)pragmatism in the contemporary philosophy of science by investigating two rival positions: Ilkka Niiniluoto’s "critical scientific realism" and Hilary Putnam’s "internal realism." The crucial difference between these two...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vilnius University Press
1998-01-01
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| Series: | Problemos |
| Online Access: | https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4259 |
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| author | Sami Pihlström |
| author_facet | Sami Pihlström |
| author_sort | Sami Pihlström |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The paper deals with the relation between realism and (neo)pragmatism in the contemporary philosophy of science by investigating two rival positions: Ilkka Niiniluoto’s "critical scientific realism" and Hilary Putnam’s "internal realism." The crucial difference between these two philosophers lies in their notions of truth. It turns out, however, that Putnam has, in his most recent writings, come closer to the kind of scientific realism he earlier abandoned as "metaphysical." Many realistic critiques of his thought have, therefore, become rather irrelevant. Putnam’s pragmatic version of realism can even be seen as accommodating the traditional idea of correspondence truth, provided that this notion is liberated from all kinds of essentialism. The Putnamean pragmatist does not share Niiniluoto’s and other realists’ desire to "define" truth. What is extremely problematic in Putnam’s latest views, however, is his attempt to return to a pre- or non-philosophical way of thinking about the relation between language and the world. His pragmatism is at least sometimes unpleasantly close to Rortyan anti-representationalism.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-212782298d16445ca090b54d08626c9f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1392-1126 2424-6158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 1998-01-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Problemos |
| spelling | doaj-art-212782298d16445ca090b54d08626c9f2025-01-20T18:25:26ZengVilnius University PressProblemos1392-11262424-61581998-01-0152CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTHSami Pihlström The paper deals with the relation between realism and (neo)pragmatism in the contemporary philosophy of science by investigating two rival positions: Ilkka Niiniluoto’s "critical scientific realism" and Hilary Putnam’s "internal realism." The crucial difference between these two philosophers lies in their notions of truth. It turns out, however, that Putnam has, in his most recent writings, come closer to the kind of scientific realism he earlier abandoned as "metaphysical." Many realistic critiques of his thought have, therefore, become rather irrelevant. Putnam’s pragmatic version of realism can even be seen as accommodating the traditional idea of correspondence truth, provided that this notion is liberated from all kinds of essentialism. The Putnamean pragmatist does not share Niiniluoto’s and other realists’ desire to "define" truth. What is extremely problematic in Putnam’s latest views, however, is his attempt to return to a pre- or non-philosophical way of thinking about the relation between language and the world. His pragmatism is at least sometimes unpleasantly close to Rortyan anti-representationalism. https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4259 |
| spellingShingle | Sami Pihlström CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH Problemos |
| title | CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH |
| title_full | CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH |
| title_fullStr | CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH |
| title_full_unstemmed | CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH |
| title_short | CORRESPONDENCE AGAIN? INTERNAL REALISM AND THRUTH |
| title_sort | correspondence again internal realism and thruth |
| url | https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/4259 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samipihlstrom correspondenceagaininternalrealismandthruth |