Why did analytic philosophy shift attention from meaning and reference to the philosophy of mind?

In the last quarter of the 20th century, analytic philosophy underwent a profound shift in focus from the study of language—specifically meaning and reference—toward the philosophy of mind.1

This transition was driven by several factors:

• Application of Materialism: Beginning around 1970, materialist approaches—such as identity theory, functionalism, and eliminative materialism—were increasingly applied to the study of mental states, including thinking, judging, perceiving, and believing.12
• Influence of Linguistics: The development of transformational-generative grammar and the theory of universal grammar by Noam Chomsky exerted a powerful influence on analytic philosophy, particularly within epistemology and the philosophy of mind.3
• Transfer of Theoretical Results: As work continued on the theory of reference, the insights gained in that domain were transferred to the analysis of the mind, bridging the gap between the movement's traditional linguistic focus and new inquiries into mental processes.1

While this shift marked a change in emphasis, the movement maintained continuity as both formalist and informalist approaches participated in these new debates.1