The Family Rule Concept in the Theory of Family Therapy**

This paper is an exploration of the usefulness of the concept of a family rule in systems thinking. Wittgenstein's analysis of rule conforming behaviour is considered alongside the early contributions of Jackson, Haley and others. Confusion has resulted from using the word “rule” in both its everyday sense and as a theoretical construct. A parallel confusion shows Itself in the activity of reframing where the selection of an alternative context is often theoretically based while the client receives an explanation in the language of everyday intentional actions.