Lebensform as a Wittgensteinian Way of Understanding Culture

Abstract

The question which I want to raise in my article is, Can we develop a perspective for the (intercultural) dialogue following Wittgensteinian idea of culture as ‘Lebensform’? I present the category of a form of life and I point out the most plausible interpretations which can be found in the literature. Particularly, I analyse proposals in which it is seen either as something purely biological or as something purely cultural (conventional, social). I am arguing that such interpretations narrow the original Wittgensteinian approach and one cannot use them to explain the phenomenon of culture and human language in full. I will make use of Wittgenstein’s philosophical claims in order to describe the notion of a form of life which can play explanatory role in philosophy. Summing up I will also mention some theoretical conditions, which are essential for the intercultural dialogue to function, supporting the assumption with Mitterer’s theory which exemplifies possible solutions.