Rules and Patterns: The Insights of the Later Wittgenstein

Abstract

    A new way of interpreting or approaching Wittgenstein’s remarks on following rules in Philosophical Investigations will be introduced. The notion of “family resemblance” will be claimed to play a central role in Wittgenstein’s views on what our concepts are, and therefore on what it is to employ them. By way of illustrating his views on concepts, I will appeal to certain models of concept and classification from psychology and machine learning. Wittgenstein’s fundamental remarks on following rules will be presented as natural consequences of his views on the nature of our concepts.