Julian Baggini/ Jesper Kallestrup/ Chris Norris/ Sarah Sawyer
Listen to the recording here
Does perception give me any reason to believe in an external world, or could I be a ‘brain in a vat’ that is fed information by a malicious (or benevolent) scientist? And if I were such a brain, could I ever say or think this? This is just one puzzle raised by the Harvard philosopher Hilary Putnam, who died last year. Though its origins are in Augustine and Descartes, Putnam revolutionised its implications for our understanding of knowledge, language, and the mind. We bring together a distinguished panel to discuss his life and work.
Speakers
Julian Baggini
Philosopher, Writer and Founder of The Philosophers’ Magazine
Jesper Kallestrup
Professor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh
Chris Norris
Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy, Cardiff University
Sarah Sawyer
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Sussex
Chair
Peter Dennis
Fellow, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE & Fellow, Forum for Philosophy
Recorded on 8 November 2016 at the LSE
