A major study of some of the central and abiding questions of metaphysics and the philosophy of language by one of the most eminent contemporary German philosophers. Originally published in 1976, it was first translated into English in 1982. Ernst Tugendhat was trained in the Heideggerian modes of phenomenological and hermeneutical thinking. Yet increasingly he came to believe that the most appropriate approach was from within the framework of analytical philosophy. This book grew out of that conviction, and as such it brought a fresh perspective to some of the rarely examined assumptions and methods of analysis. Professor Tugendhat begins by showing how semantic analysis related to such 'traditional' conceptions of philosophy as Aristotle's and Kant's, and the manner in which it treats such 'traditional' problems as being and consciousness. From these considerations he develops a systematic, thorough and original theory of reference, predication and individuation, which make it an invaluable resource for anyone with an interest in the philosophy of language.