Brian Skyrms is a Distinguished Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science and Economics at the University of California, Irvine and a regular visiting member of the philosophy department at Stanford University. He has worked on problems in the philosophy of science, causation, decision theory, game theory, and the foundations of probability. Most recently, his work has focused on the evolution of social norms using evolutionary game theory. His two most recent books Evolution of the Social Contract and The Stag Hunt are both on this topic. These books use arguments and examples from evolutionary game theory to cover topics of interest to political philosophy, philosophy of the social science, philosophy of language, and the philosophy of biology.

Skyrms is one of only two (living) philosophers that are members of the United States National Academy of Sciences.