How did analytic philosophy become influential in Britain and the United States?

Analytic philosophy became the dominant tradition in Britain and the United States through a pivotal shift away from the absolute idealism that characterized late 19th-century English philosophy.12

The movement originated at the turn of the 20th century when Bertrand Russell and G.E. Moore broke with the idealist view that the physical world was merely a mental construct. This "revolt against idealism" marked a return to empiricism and common sense, establishing the foundation for two primary analytic approaches:312

• Formalism: Influenced by Russell and later logical positivism, this tradition utilized formal logic and scientific methods to clarify philosophical problems. The influence of logical positivism in the United States grew significantly when thinkers like Rudolf Carnap emigrated from Germany and Austria to escape Nazism.345
• Informalism: Inspired by Moore, this approach focused on the close examination of language and the defense of commonsensical views against skeptical or metaphysical claims.35

Central to the movement's influence was the "linguistic turn"—the adoption of the idea that philosophical problems often arise from misunderstandings of language and can be resolved through conceptual or linguistic analysis.25