Wittgenstein's Ethnological Approach to Philosophy

Abstract

The lively discourse that followed my presentation last year regarding cultural influences on our thinking and understanding led to new insights, some of which I will discuss here. First I explain that – like myths – pictures provide potentially misleading cultural influences. This confirms that Wittgenstein did not work on Frazer's ethnological explanations for over 20 years to refute a by now antiquated ethnological method, but also to question his own philosophical views and to develop a better, intercultural approach to language and culture. I will then further clarify why Wittgenstein's intercultural approach is more objective, and give an example of how it can stand between the viewpoints of different cultures.