The first part of The Brown Book, although one of the odder works of philosophy, is one of most systematic of Wittgenstein’s. It consists of a series of language games with occasional comments on their significance. Below I suggest a way of grouping the games according to the issues they seem designed to address.
1-5: basic language games with various devices
The commentary on p. 81 suggests that Wittgenstein intends these to introduce the idea of a language game. You should also notice the variety of devices they employ: Wittgenstein uses language games in part to expose differences in use among words.
6-7: on names
These appear to concern the explanation of and grasp of meaning. The parenthetical commentary at the end of (6) indicates a tie to the importance of recognizing variety. (The paragraph at the end of (7) serves to introduce the next topic.)
8-13: articulation (words, patterns)
The use of signs that have signs as components is only one of the topics appearing in this group, but it is one that runs through them all. It is possible to see this discussion as a counter to Russell’s assumption that a proposition can be analyzed into a definite number of constituents. In the last part of (13) Wittgenstein begins to introduce the topic of the next group.
14-17: the use of samples
This group is close to the topic of the first two passages we looked at in The Blue Book (pp. 1-5 and 11-15). Wittgenstein provides a long commentary addressing such issues on pp. 85-89.
18-21: rules
All Wittgenstein’s games could be said to have rules, but these have rules governing the use of certain rule-like devices. The topic of rules and their generality continues through the rest of today’s reading (and from a certain point of view through the rest of part I); these games can be seen to introduce it. At the end of (21), near the top of p. 91, Wittgenstein begins to introduce the more specific topic of the next group.
22-32: unbounded games
Wittgenstein often took our ability to go on forever following the series of numbers as a simple surrogate for our ability to construct an unlimited number of sentences, so the topic of these examples is more general than it may at first appear. He offers a detailed commentary at the end of (32), pp. 94f.
33-38: moving by command according to rules
These begin to raise issues concerning what he called in The Blue Book “a process involving a rule” (rather than merely being in accord with one). Wittgenstein comments on them at the end of (38) but he has more to say after the next two.
39-40: the same without rules
These point to an analogue of the idea that the chain of actual reasons is limited (The Blue Book, pp. 14f). The cases themselves are described in a few sentences, with most of p. 97 serving as a commentary on them and the preceding group.
41: general training
I’ve separated this game from others because it has its own commentary and even a label provided by Wittgenstein.
42-43: “reading word by word”
The idea of being guided was an important one for Wittgenstein
and reading was a standard example of it for him. This is the topic he will address for the rest of part I and specific issue of ability will occupy him for a large part of it.