Nelson looks at how language relates to the world and more particularly at the referring power of names. The first half of the book details the history of the subject from Locke onwards and is followed by Nelson's own reference theory.

Preface 1 Introduction 2 Natural Signs 3 Sense and Reference 4 Naming and Describing 5 Truth Without Reference 6 Reference and Speech Act 7 Steps Toward Naturalism 8 Cause and Function 9 Mechanism 10 Direct Reference 11 Mind and Semantics