Intention and meaning
Although hypothetically, one might argue that words refer to real concepts, this book takes the position that what is "true" about a language expression is not the meaning of the words, but the sincerity of the intention. The intended meaning is part of what makes the language so important in the first place, feels Cavell, and there isn't a clear system for understanding how that all blends in with psychology and biology.
Philosophical scrutiny
By responding to the ideas of people who came before him, Cavell locates himself historically in the conversation about language. His teacher was J.L. Austin whose ideas have been received with mixed review historically, and he also responds to Austin's critics. He especially scrutinizes David Poole, especially displeased with Poole's analysis of Wittgenstein, which Cavell feels is irresponsible and bad.
Mystery and language
It doesn't take a philosopher to notice that the way words work is mysterious. Words are the part of language that seems most discontinuous with the languages of other animals. Animals do communicate through sounds, but humans use specific sounds to co-refer to ideas that either human might understand hypothetically. So for instance, the word tree refers the reader to their own concept for trees. The mystery of this human aspect is potentially infinite, but Cavell still attempts to clarify his understanding of Wittgenstein's theories on such matters.
