Internal Realism

Abstract

Hilary Putnam has stressed, in his recent writings, the distinction between metaphysical and internal realism (see e.g. Putnam, 1978, 1981, 1982a, and 1982b). In what follows I shall examine issues related to this distinction, or to something related to this distinction. We should note, to begin with, that the distinction is in fact a Kantian one. Kant came in his philosophy to oppose “transcendental realism” and to endorse “empirical realism” (and the “transcendental idealism” associated with it). Putnam’s metaphysical realism corresponds here, roughly, to transcendental realism, and his internal realism to Kant’s empirical realism (cf. Chapter 1).