Scott Soames

Appreciating Analytic Philosophy is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Scott Soames, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at University of Southern California. Scott Soames is specialized in the philosophy of language and the history of analytic philosophy. This detailed conversation provides a thoughtful introduction to analytic philosophy, including some examples of contemporary relevance to a wide range of other fields.

This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, The Utility of Philosophy, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:

  1. An Analytical Introduction – From sociological musings to Gottlob Frege
  2. Investigating Logic – The benefits of rigorous inquiry
  3. Language and Meaning – Minds as gateways to information
  4. Legal Applications – Some concrete examples
  5. Changing the Culture – Philosophy everywhere
  6. Gödelian Challenges – Making sense of the incompleteness theorems



Available in electronic format on all major booksellers, including:




Appreciating Analytic Philosophy is also part of the five-part Ideas Roadshow CollectionConversations About Philosophy, Volume 1, which is available in paperback, hardcover and electronic format.