Schema Games - An Extension of Wittgenstein’s Language Games

Methodological-epistemological PrologueFor more than three decades I developed a rather methodological philosophy of a comprehensive “schemainterpretationism” [1] including an epistemology, action theory as well as cognitive, social and cultural approaches. There is also a Kantian flavor involved - though more flexible than his categories and “schematism”. Human beings do cognize and act only by schematizing, i.e. by activating or using schemes. They are essentially schematizing beings and even, characteristically, meta-schematizing creatures: they would not only use schemata but can and do also talk about such schemes, patterns, structures, frames, conceptual schemata, configurations, constructions etc. on higher meta-levels. Activating and using schemes may be understood as interpreting. Forming, activating, understanding and applying schemes in the widest possible sense, are processes, if structural or exploratory etc. These are interpretative activities (see diagram below) or even conscious goal-oriented or ritualized acts proper.