Hillary Putnam and Realism with a Human Face (Part 2): Wrapping up Quantum Physics and Following Putnam into the The Liar's Paradox

On The Very Idea - A Philosophy Podcast

In this second part of a three part series on Hillary Putnam's lecture Realism with a Human Face, I wrap up the discussion about quantum physics by looking at some of quantum physics' philosophical consequences and an interesting book from 80 years ago that relates quantum physics in highly understandable terms for the layperson. Then, I follow Putnam by looking at the liars paradox - that logical puzzle that says 'This sentence is false'. Is that senternce itself true or false? Anyway that you answer it, you are stuck in a bind. Grappling with this paradox led the Polish logician Alfred Tarski to develop a new theory of truth that allowed him to solve this paradox. Tarski's theory of truth was to have deep reverberations in the philosophical community and this all leads into the next episode where I look at how Putnam draws parallels between quantum physics and the the philosophy of logic and truth after Tarski. Also, the usual trivia and general rambling that you've hopefully come to tolerate.