Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Wikforss, Åsa

Titel

Bachelors, Energy, Cats and Water: P utnam on Kinds and Kind Terms

Ist Teil von

• Theoria (Lund, Sweden), 2013-09, Vol.79 (3), p.242-261

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Quelle

Wiley Online Library All Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Since H ilary P utnam and S aul K ripke's first attacks on traditional, descriptivist theories of natural kind terms, it has become customary to speak of the ‘ P utnam‐ K ripke’ view of meaning and reference. This article argues that this is a mistake, and that P utnam's account of natural kind terms is importantly different from that of K ripke. In particular, P utnam has from the very start been sceptical of K ripke's modal claims, and in later papers he explicitly rejects the proposal that theoretical identity statements are metaphysically necessary (if true). I suggest that this is wholly in line with P utnam's earlier, Quine‐inspired writings on general terms, and his preoccupation with the philosophy of science. Moreover, I argue that the picture of general terms that emerges from Putnam's writings is more plausible than that suggested by K ripke. However, contrary to P utnam, I also suggest that P utnam's later views on natural kinds and natural kind terms do not support standard Twin Earth externalism.