Adam Schaff's book consists of two parts. In the first part, each of the scientific directions, combined with the concept of semantics, is devoted to a separate chapter. The second part deals with the main problems of semantics, interpreted as a conglomerate of scientific disciplines close to each other. This proximity is determined by the use in different aspects and for different purposes of a single subject - linguistic meaning. The book touches on the most acute and burning problems of modern philosophy and theoretical linguistics.