Putnam, Hilary

"Logic is not about the structure of the world, but about human thought."

"Philosophy cannot escape the hermeneutic circle."

"Ideal rational acceptability replaces truth in practical terms."

"The dichotomy between analytic and synthetic truths is artificial."

"Science and metaphysics are continuous with common sense."

"Instrumentalism in science reflects our practical interests."

"Realism cannot be formulated without internal contradiction."

"Our concepts shape what we can know about reality."

"There is no view from nowhere."

"The verification principle undermines itself."

"Functionalism explains mental states through role, not substance."

"Pain is not simply a brain state but a functional state."

"Identity theory in philosophy of mind is too reductive."

"The Chinese room argument misses the point about understanding."

"Artificial intelligence requires understanding, not mere simulation."

"Normativity cannot be reduced to natural facts."

"Ethics is about what speakers ideally would agree to."

"Rationality is itself a normative concept."

"Truth is what would be believed at the ideal limit of inquiry."

"Pragmatism reconciles realism with human limitations."

"We are finite creatures grasping at infinite possibility."

"The purpose of philosophy is to dissolve confusion, not create theories."

"Language games show how meaning is use."

"The private language argument reveals the social nature of thought."

"Consciousness is not transparent to itself."

"Intentionality is the mark of the mental."

"Our concepts are tools, not mirrors of reality."

"Science progresses through paradigm shifts and conceptual revolutions."

"Observation is theory-laden; there are no bare facts."

"The underdetermination of theory by evidence is fundamental."