Wittgenstein on Forms of Life

Description

The question of what Wittgenstein meant by ”forms of life” has attracted a great deal of attention in the literature, yet it is an expression that Wittgenstein himself employs on only a relatively small number of occasions, and that he does not explicitly define. This Element gives a description of this concept that also explains Wittgenstein”s reluctance to say much about it. A short historical introduction examines the origins and uses of the term in Wittgenstein”s time. The Element then presents a survey of Wittgenstein”s employment of it, and an overview of the literature. Finally, the Element offers a methodological reading of this notion, interpreting it as a conceptual tool in Wittgenstein”s wider inquiries into the workings of our language.