Thisvolumepresentsanewviewoftherelationshipbetweenmetaphysicsandthetheoryofmeaning.Whatistherelationbetweenthenatureofthethingsyouthinkabout,ontheonehand,andthewaysyouthinkaboutthemontheother?Isthenatureoftheworldpriortothenatureofthoughtandmeaning,ornot?ChristopherPeacockearguesthatthenatureoftheworld-itsmetaphysics-isalwaysinvolvedinthoughtandmeaning.Meaningisneverpriortothenatureoftheworld.Peacockedevelopsageneralclaimthatmetaphysicsisalwaysinvolved,eitherasexplanatorilyprior,orinano-priorityrelationship,tothetheoryofmeaningandcontent.Meaningandintentionalcontentareneverexplanatorilypriortothemetaphysics.Heaimstoshow,insuccessivechaptersofThePrimacyofMetaphysicshowthegeneralviewholdsformagnitudes,time,theself,andabstractobjects.Foreachofthesecases,themetaphysicsoftheentitiesinvolvedisexplanatorilypriortoanaccountofthenatureofourlanguageandthoughtaboutthem.Peacockemakesoriginalcontributionstothemetaphysicsofthesetopics,andoffersconsequentialnewtreatmentsofanaloguecomputationandrepresentation.Inthefinalchapter,hearguesthathisapproachgeneratesanewaccountofthelimitsofintelligibility,andlocateshisaccountinrelationtoothertreatmentsofthisclassicalconundrum.
