Element contents
Summary
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 “Lebensformen” before Wittgenstein
1.3 Goethe and Spengler: Methodological Concerns
2 Forms of Life in Wittgenstein’s Work
2.1 Overview
2.2 Cluster 1: Language Games and Activities of Life
2.3 Cluster 2: Agreement and Rules
2.4 Cluster 3: The Given
3 Interpretations of Forms of Life
3.1 Overview
3.2 Some Classical Interpretations
3.3 A Map of Positions
3.4 Wider Debates
4 Conclusion: The Significance of Forms of Life
4.1 Overview
4.2 Remarks and Interpretations
4.3 The Development of Wittgenstein’s View
4.4 A Methodological Reading
Acknowledgments
The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein
Footnotes
References

Summary
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.