Putnam, Pragmatism and the Fate of Metaphysics

putnam has called for a renewal of philosophy by invoking the names of Wittgenstein and Dewey, both strong critics of traditional metaphysics. in the light of his own attacks on various forms of metaphysics (e.g. metaphysical realism, the fact/ value distinction), one question that arises is this: what is the fate of metaphysics in putnam’s vision of philosophy? The present paper explores this question by reading putnam as committed to a broadly pragmatist approach to metaphysics exemplified in different ways by James and Dewey. i end by providing several different ways of understanding putnam’s claim that “there is a sense in which it is the task of philosophy to overcome metaphysics and a sense in which its task is to continue metaphysical discussion”.