Expression

Abstract ‘Expression’ is a central concept of the language of psychology as well as of some of its theories. In Wittgenstein’s considerations it plays a decisive role, in particular in such phrases as ‘immediate’ or ‘primary expression’.1 There is, however, yet another context where Wittgenstein deals with the concept ‘expression’, namely the context of aesthetic appraisal, criticism, or description. The connection between this use and the employment of phrases like ‘expression of a sensation’, ‘expression of an experience’, or ‘expression of pain’ is not obvious but it will gradually become apparent.