An in-depth history of modal logic in analytic philosophy, from a leading philosopher of language This is the third of five volumes of a definitive history of analytic philosophy from the invention of modern logic in 1879 to the end of the twentieth century. Scott Soames, a leading philosopher of language and historian of analytic philosophy, provides the fullest and most detailed account of the analytic tradition yet published, one that is unmatched in its chronological range, topics covered, and depth of treatment. Focusing on the major milestones and distinguishing them from detours, Soames gives a seminal account of where the analytic tradition has been and where it appears to be heading. Volume 3 explains the most important achievement in the analytic tradition in the twentieth century—the rise and development of the epistemic and metaphysical modalities of necessity, possibility, and conceivability—and how it opened new vistas for the understanding of mind, meaning, and
