Konfiguratives

Konfiguratives is a term that emerged from philosophical discussions, particularly those related to the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. It describes a specific type of concept or understanding that is not defined by a fixed set of necessary and sufficient conditions, but rather by a network of overlapping similarities and family resemblances. Unlike descriptive concepts which can be precisely defined, configurative concepts are fluid and context-dependent. Their meaning is grasped through experience and engagement with various examples, rather than through a formal definition.

The idea is that we learn to recognize a configurative concept by seeing how different instances share certain characteristics, even if no single characteristic is present in all of them, and no single characteristic is sufficient to define the whole. This is analogous to how we recognize members of a family; they may share a nose, or a smile, or a particular way of speaking, but there isn't one single feature that all family members possess.

Philosophers use the concept of configuratives to analyze areas where strict definitions are difficult or impossible to establish, such as in ethics, aesthetics, or certain social phenomena. The term suggests that our understanding in these domains is built upon a complex web of associations and comparisons, allowing for flexibility and nuance in our judgments and interpretations. This contrasts with a purely analytical approach that seeks definitive and universally applicable rules.