维特根斯坦与反本质主义

Wittgensein and Anti-essentialism

自苏格拉底和柏拉图以来,本质主义就是西方哲学的典型特征。这种思考方式主张所有落入同一个类概念之下的个别物一定有一个共同之处,并且正是这种共同之处使得它们落入了同一个类概念之下。这种思考方式在语言哲学上的表现就是主张每个类概念都应该有明确的边界和定义,而人们就是将这些边界和定义视为严格的规则来使用类概念的。为了反对这种看法,维特根斯坦在《哲学研究》中提出了著名的“家族相似”。这是一种反本质主义的立场。除类概念外,维特根斯坦的反本质主义还涉及很多日常的心理表达式。后期维特根斯坦的反本质主义呈现出了一种更广阔的图景。

Essentialism has been a typical feature of western philosophy since Socrates and Plato.Broadlyunderstood,“essentialism”means that all particulars which fall under a class-concept must have something in common and that“something”makes them fall under that very class-concept.In philosophy of language this way of thinking demands that all the class-concepts should have clear-cut boundaries and definitions and that these boundaries and definitions should serve as the rigorous rules for the uses of class-concepts.Wittgenstein,however,uses the notorious“family resemblances”to combat with this venerable way of thinking in Philosophical Investigations.His anti-essentialism has been proved to be more far-reaching as it covers not only class-concepts but also many psychological expressions.