b. 1946
Scott Soames is an American analytic philosopher specializing in philosophy of language, philosophical logic, and the history of analytic philosophy. He is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California and is widely regarded as one of the leading philosophers of language of his generation, known for his rigorous analyses of meaning, reference, and truth.
Authored 'Beyond Rigidity' extending Kripke's theory of reference and naming
Wrote the two-volume 'Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century' chronicling the history of analytic philosophy
Developed influential critiques of descriptivism and deflationary theories of truth
Advanced the understanding of vagueness, partial definition, and the sorites paradox
Made significant contributions to the philosophy of law and legal interpretation