This book comprises the fruits of much deep thinking for decades on the issues discussed. The book is very largely a summation of the author's philosophical reading, probing, analyzing, and creative thinking involved in critiquing much philosophical literature, and deeply contemplating the implications of all that reading and analyzing. This philosophical work touches on a great variety of philosophical questions; however, the most diligent and persistent analyses revolve around questions concerning the nature of language (where reference and meaning reside), the nature of human (and animal) consciousness, and how it is that we human beings can know anything at all. Studiosus and Scepticus are the two interlocutors (debaters) in this very lively discussion. Throughout the book, they take aim at each other's worldview, and they passionately debate the pros and cons of each issue under the fires of critical analysis. The debates sometimes get into great technical detail, but they never get dull, dry or pedantic. The intellectual passions of each debater see to it that the dialogue never gets unduly bogged down in tedious details and analyses. When Scepticus and Studiosus debate, it never gets dull for very long. However, they do come head-on concerning some very difficult and deep philosophical probing and analysis. Therefore, the reader should be prepared to do some critical thinking, even if this thinking can be kept colorful and exciting.