REASON, TRUTH AND HISTORY Hilary Putnam CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESSPUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE “The Pit Buldng,Trumpingron Stree Cambridge CB2 IRP, United Kingdom ‘CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS ‘The Edinburgh Baling, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK ip: ww. cupcam.ack 40 West 20th Steet, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA. ap: eww cup org 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia (© Cambridge Univesity Press 1981 This book iin copyright Subject to sacuory exception snd othe provisions of elevane collective ceaing agrees, ‘no reproduction of any pat may ake pace without the ween permission of Cambridge Univesity res Fin pablihed 1981 Reprinted 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 199, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1384, 1995, 1997, 1998 ried inthe United States of America “Types in Sabon ‘A ctelogu record fr this book is aval frm he British Library Library of Congres Cataloguing in Publcton Data is avilable ISBN 0:521.23055.7 haraback ISBN 0-521-297761 paperback FOR RUTH ANNAContents Preface Brains in a vat A problem about reference ‘Two philosophical perspectives Mind and body ‘Two conceptions of rationality Fact and value Reason and history ‘The impact of science on modern ‘conceptions of rationality ‘Values, facts and cognition Appendix Index 103 27 150 174 201 217 29