Abstract

JACORZYNSKI, Witold. The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein as a New Proposal for Anthropology and the Social Sciences. Sociológica (Méx.) [online]. 2011, vol.26, n.74, pp.177-204. ISSN 2007-8358.

This article examines the philosophy of the second Wittgenstein as it relates to the social sciences. It analyzes Wittgenstein's proposition as an alternative to two approaches, until now dominant in anthropology and the social sciences: scientificism and interpretationism. The author develops five methodological principles deduced from Wittgenstein's work as essential for the social disciplines: the principles of grammatical analysis, of the context, of perspectivism, of intelligible representation, and of anti-essentialism. Finally, he argues that their application will make it possible to better understand certain social phenomena, like rituals, using as an example the ritual of human sacrifice and cannibalism among the Mexicas.

Keywords : Wittgenstein; social sciences; human sacrifices.

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