Title: On the Plurality of Analyses: From Lewis Back to Russell and Moore

Abstract: It is often argued that, amongst the various existing philosophical traditions, the one that enjoys the widest support is the analytic tradition. And, indeed, it is undoubtedly true that many philosophers would be prepared to describe themselves as ‘analytic philosophers’. Yet what such a statement of affiliation entails is far from evident. Just as it is clear that there is something in common amongst all analytic philosophers, it is equally clear that we do not know for sure what this something is. Part of the problem, is that the obvious suggestion that analytic philosophers are united by their adherence to the method of analysis raises unexpected difficulties. Different philosophers, in fact, appear to use the term ‘analysis’ to refer to very different methodologies, with no apparent consensus about what is the best way forward. The fact that none of these methodologies can singularly claim the title of ‘analytic method’, however, should not discourage us from paying attention to the interconnections that link them to one another. Quite the contrary, in this talk I will defend the idea that it is only by attending to these interconnections that we can appreciate how seemingly distinct modes of analysis combine to form a unified methodological framework. A methodological framework, which, as I will illustrate, ties together the analytic revolution inaugurated by Frege, Russell, and Moore with the modal metaphysics of David Lewis.