Concluding remarks

wittgensteinian philosophy and the future of psychology

Roman Jakobson

pp. 359-370

in: Gavin Brent Sullivan, Wittgenstein's philosophy in psychology, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Abstract

The book's themes are brought back together to reiterate that Wittgenstein's relevance to psychology can not only be talked about in the discipline's recent history but also is shown in many areas of theoretical, empirical and applied work. Wittgenstein's influence is argued to be important but cannot be incorporated in a straightforward manner as a critical method or theory creation tool, although it does provide a reflexive and critical resource for social and psychological scientists. While the types of conceptual problems Wittgenstein identifies need to be worked through by each psychologist as they encounter them, the successful identification of misleading pictures and theories in the practices of psychology is distributed in a community in such a way that we can benefit from achieving conceptual clarity. Engaging with the work of a philosopher like Wittgenstein also introduces the need to anticipate and imagine the future of social and psychological science and global society. (e.g., as diverse as counselling interventions and political movements).