This volume investigates whether intentional phenomena, such as meaning and mental representation, can be explained through the biological function of those states within a species. Editors David Papineau and Graham Macdonald curate a collection of essays from prominent philosophers to evaluate the current state of teleosemantics, a theory that grounds semantic content in evolutionary history and natural selection. The contributors analyze the viability of this naturalistic approach to understanding how mental states acquire their representational properties.

Experts recognize this volume as a significant collection for those engaged in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which assumes a foundational understanding of contemporary analytic philosophy.