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  • Essay / Ludwig Wittgenstein's Classic Categorization Theory

    Some games require specific skills, others simply luck. The aim of the games also differs. We can play games just for fun, but on the other hand, we can play games that involve winning or losing. “Although there is no single set of properties that all games share, the category of games is united by what Wittgenstein calls family resemblances. Members of a family are similar in various ways: they may share the same build or facial features, the same hair color, the same eye color or the same temperament, etc. But there need not be a single set of properties shared by all members of a family.” (Lakoff 1987: 5) In this view, games are like members of the family. Similar in many ways, each has its own characteristics that set it apart from the others. They are “linked” to each other by these similarities. The resemblance between different games, and not some common properties, is what makes the game a