About

I published this web site in 1999 (Putnam was aware of its existence during the years, and kindly wrote to me in several occasions giving some suggestions!).
At the time I was graduating in philosophy, after having encountered a philosopher like Hilary Putnam that had shaked my views in depth. I have no doubts in saying he is one of the philosophical giants of our time. He wrote extensively on almost every area of philosophy, in a penetrating, logically brilliant and, at the same time, “honest” fashion, qualities very rarely combined in the same philosopher (“un esprit de geometrie et un esprit de finesse”, Pascal would have said).
The first time I read some of his writings I was very surprised to find eventually a thinker able to argue persuasively (for my intellectual “taste”) on subjects I had reflected on for a long time, throwing new lights on some key questions for which I was often unable to find by myself a satisfying way out. Then the decision to write my dissertation on some central questions related to Putnam’s work followed very easily. It was maybe the best time I have ever spent travelling and writing around Italy, Germany and the UK.

Although in the last years I have been working on physics and related sciences (unfortunately I had to give up on my forthcoming Ph.D in philosophy and a possible academic career – I had won a Fulbright scholarship for the USA – just before moving because of serious personal troubles) my deep interest in the philosophy of Hilary Putnam is still very alive.
I hope I will be able to turn back to academic philosophy as soon as possible, maybe trying to research by myself on some of the same exciting questions so brilliantly inquired by Putnam during his long and prosperous career. In the meantime… I am here trying to regularly update these pages, as well as possible!

For any questions or suggestions please add your comments here or email me directly:

gazalbert [A-T] google [D-O-T] com

Alberto Gazzola, Trento (Italy)