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social science subjects > social research > philosophy and the social sciences > general philosophy > rule following
... > social science subjects > politics and international relations > political science > political theory > empirical political theory > philosophy of social science > rule following
... > social science subjects > politics and international relations > political science > political theory > modern political theory > philosophy of social science > rule following
social science subjects > social research > philosophy and the social sciences > philosophy of social science > rule following

Preferred term

rule following  

Definition

  • The topic of rule following is closely associated with the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. It consists of several interrelated issues: What is a rule? In what ways, if any, can rules guide or compel us? What is involved in committing oneself to following a rule? How do we come to follow rules? What role do rules play in speaking a language? Are rules always and essentially social phenomena? What makes it possible to identify which rules other people are following? Does the investigation of a rule-following community call for a different form of social-scientific investigation than the study of entities that do not follow rules? These questions are obviously of great interest to both philosophers and social scientists. [Source: Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences; Rule Following]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/rule_following

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