We have so far avoided any reference to the being of the ideal. But without a discussion of this point, the considerations of our last chapter lack a certain measure of intelligibility. We shall accordingly focus on two issues and then relate the results of our inquiry to our previous discussion. The issues before us are, first, Husserl's argument for positing the ideal as a distinct region of being and, second, his discussion of the nature of the ideal considered as it is in itself. A grounded discussion of these issues requires a necessary propaedeutic. A mention must be made of Husserl's doctrine of sense and reference. The doctrine is crucial for understanding the way in which the ideal can be considered to describe a region of being.