Editing Analytic philosophy (section)

=== Philosophy of language ===
{{Main|Philosophy of language}}

Given the linguistic turn, it can be hard to separate logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language in analytic philosophy. Philosophy of language is a topic that has decreased in activity during the last four decades, as evidenced by the fact that few major philosophers today treat it as a primary research topic. While the debate remains fierce, it is still strongly influenced by those authors from the first half of the century, e.g. Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Austin, Tarski, and Quine.

==== Semantics ====
[[Saul Kripke]] provided a [[Kripke semantics|semantics]] for modal logic. In his book ''[[Naming and Necessity]]'' (1980), Kripke challenges the descriptivist theory with a [[causal theory of reference]]. In it he introduced the term [[rigid designator]]. According to one author, "In the philosophy of language, ''Naming and Necessity'' is among the most important works ever."<ref name=ageofm /> [[Ruth Barcan Marcus]] also challenged descriptivism. So did [[Keith Donnellan]].<ref>Keith Donnellan, "Reference and Definite Descriptions"</ref>

Hilary Putnam used the Twin Earth thought experiment to argue for [[semantic externalism]], or the view that the meanings of words are not psychological. [[Donald Davidson (philosopher)|Donald Davidson]] uses the thought experiment of Swampman to advocate for semantic externalism.

Kripke in ''[[Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language]]'' provides a rule-following paradox that undermines the possibility of our ever following rules in our use of language and, so, calls into question the idea of meaning. Kripke writes that this paradox is "the most radical and original skeptical problem that philosophy has seen to date". The [[portmanteau]] "Kripkenstein" has been coined as a term for a fictional person who holds the views expressed by Kripke's reading of Wittgenstein.

Another influential philosopher, [[Pavel Tichý]] initiated Transparent Intensional Logic, an original theory of the [[logical analysis]] of [[natural language]]s—the theory is devoted to the problem of saying exactly what it is that we learn, know, and can communicate when we come to understand what a sentence means.

==== Pragmatics ====
[[Paul Grice]] and his maxims and theory of [[implicature]] established the discipline of pragmatics.