This volume investigates the fundamental relationship between human needs, objective values, and the nature of truth within moral and evaluative discourse. David Wiggins, a prominent contemporary philosopher, compiles twenty-five years of research to address how value judgments can maintain objectivity despite their subjective origins. He employs a rigorous analytical framework to bridge the gap between philosophy of mind, logic, and ethics, ultimately arguing for a nuanced realism regarding evaluative truths.

Experts recognize this collection as a foundational text for understanding contemporary value theory and meta-ethics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in analytic philosophy to fully grasp the author's arguments.