Putnam, Hilary

"Mathematics is not purely about abstract objects."

"Nominalism about abstract objects is too restrictive."

"Sets exist, but not in the way numbers or properties do."

"Logic and mathematics are not purely formal sciences."

"The foundations of mathematics remain uncertain."

"We should accept a degree of relativism without falling into incoherence."

"Objectivity and relativity to a framework are compatible."

"Truth is elusive but not illusory."

"We cannot ask questions that transcend all possible human experience."

"Conceptual relativism does not entail anything goes."

"Realism and idealism represent only two options among many."

"The metaphysical project requires constant reassessment."

"Metaphors are not mere decorations in philosophical thinking."

"Ordinary language is often our best guide to metaphysics."

"Philosophy is a conversation across centuries."

"We inherit conceptual schemes and must modify them responsibly."

"Understanding requires sympathy and imagination as well as logic."

"The demand for certainty leads us astray."

"Fallibility does not undermine the possibility of knowledge."

"We should aim for justified true belief, not absolute certainty."

"Context determines what counts as an adequate explanation."

"The naturalistic assumption does not solve philosophical problems."

"Materialism is not the only scientifically respectable worldview."

"The universe is not a closed causal system."

"Freedom and determinism are not as opposed as they seem."

"Responsibility is a pragmatic concept rooted in practice."

"Ethics cannot be reduced to facts about human nature."

"Moral disagreement reflects genuine indeterminacy, not mere opinion."

"Justice requires attending to particular circumstances."

"We must balance universalism and particularity in moral thought."