Blackwell Reference Online

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The Philosophical Lexicon contains the following entry for “hilary”: hilary , n. ( from hilary term) A very brief but significant period in the intellectual career of a distinguished philosopher. “Oh, that's what I thought three or four hilaries ago.” ( Dennett 1987 : 11) The entry makes reference to Hilary Putnam's penchant for changing his views, even completely reversing himself on central themes. What are we to make of this inconstancy? Emerson, in a famous but widely misquoted passage wrote: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. ( Emerson 1940 : 152) Philosophers, especially technically adroit philosophers, often adopt a position then stick with it no matter what. If you are clever, you can find ways around almost any objection. Defending a cherished thesis can be like defending an old friend against a charge of dishonesty: your own honor as well as your friend's is at stake. In philosophy, however, candor trumps constancy. It is to Putnam's credit that he has been willing to allow his views to evolve as they will even when this leads him in surprising directions. Commendable as it is, this kind of intellectual forthrightness puts pressure on anyone setting out to summarize Putnam's views. Not only has Putnam written on a wide variety of issues, ... log in or subscribe to read full text