Application of the philosophy of late L. Wittgenstein in C. Geertz’s work

Abstract

The topic of this article is the question of cultural relativity in the methodology of anthropology and social sciences. The goalposition of the paper is to describe the anti-anti-relativistic approach of the anthropologist Clifford Geertz, which reflects his interpretation of the Wittgenstein’s late work and his notion of "form of life". Geertz's anti-anti-relativism is the result of his refusal to take the position of a relativist or an ethnocentrist, for several reasons. According to him, the main problem of both camps is the misconception of culture as a non-dynamic and closed whole, which results from the philosophical idea of "ideal" concepts. According to him, such an idea is particularly unsustainable in today's globalized interconnected world. Geertz also draws attention to the dynamic way of forming an identity (subject or culture) through encountering with foreign. For Geertz, a formo of life is a methodological tool which helps to avoid choosing between relativism or anti-relativism and which, in turn, provides a dynamic ground for examining the intertwining of the identities of cultures and social groups.