# Varieties of Meaning The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures 2004 Ruth Garrett Millikan **Opening (not a real abstract):** “Ruth Millikan’s project is nothing less than a complete account of signs—animal and human, natural and intentional, public and inner—and it is wonderfully realized, carefully argued, and richly exemplified. Varieties of Meaning is essential and engrossing reading for philosophers of mind, cognitive psychologists and linguists, and for everyone else who cares about how we think and communicate.” “Varieties of Meaning is essential reading for those interested in mind and language. Millikan deepens and extends her pioneering theory of mental and linguistic content. She clarifies the role of teleology and information in her approach; she advances the provocative thesis that words can be used to perceive the world directly; and she offers an exciting new account of the difference between human and nonhuman