Wittgenstein on Forms of Life

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.