On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, the Philosophy Department at the College of Arts, University of Basrah, organized a scientific panel discussion entitled “Pragmatic Philosophy in Hilary Putnam,” as part of the department’s series of scientific activities for the academic year 2025–2026.
The panel discussion, presented by Assistant Professor Nibras Zaki Jalil, aimed to demonstrate the importance of pragmatism in the philosophy of the American philosopher Hilary Putnam, and to show the extent of its connection to the realist trend in contemporary philosophy.
The panel discussion addressed its topic through an analytical presentation of Putnam's importance in philosophy in general, and in American philosophy in particular, as he is considered one of the most prominent pragmatist philosophers who had a significant impact on contemporary philosophical thought. His theses represented a corrective turning point in contemporary philosophy, through his establishment of new foundations for realism that differed from the prevailing models for long periods, especially through his presentation of a conciliatory model that helped to transcend a number of artificial dichotomies, most notably the dichotomy between truth and value.
The panel discussion also addressed a number of theoretical and epistemological problems raised by this philosophical trend, while opening the floor for discussion to the attending faculty members, which gave the session a fruitful, interactive, and scientific character.
