The Philosophy of Play as Life by Russell, Wendy; Ryall, Emily; MacLean, Malcolm;

Short description:

Acknowledging that play is central to our social lives, this volume builds bridges between scholars of philosophy and scholars of play. It spans a range of philosophical areas of enquiry (metaphysics, aesthetics and ethics), covering topics such as the history of play, art as play, and play and the internet.

Long description:

It is now widely acknowledged that play is central to our lives. As a phenomenon, play poses important questions of reality, subjectivity, competition, inclusion and exclusion. This international collection is the third in a series of books (including The Philosophy of Play and Philosophical Perspectives on Play) that aims to build paradigmatic bridges between scholars of philosophy and scholars of play.

Divided into four sections (Play as Life, Play as Games, Play as Art and Play as Politics), this book sheds new light on the significance of play for both children and adults in a variety of cultural settings. Its chapters encompass a range of philosophical areas of enquiry such as metaphysics, aesthetics and ethics, and the spectrum of topics explored includes games, jokes, sport and our social relationship with the Internet.

With contributions from established and emerging scholars from around the world, The Philosophy of Play as Life is fascinating reading for all those with an interest in playwork, the ethics and philosophy of sport, childhood studies or the philosophy of education.

"I am sure that many other scholars and practitioners of play may be enchanted by reading here and there in this much welcome and highly commendable, and recommendable, work of play and play of work. The Philosophy at Play conference organizers and book editors, Emily Ryall, Wendy Russell, and Malcolm Maclean deserve high praise in deed for their great efforts in reviving play." – Ejgil Jespersen, Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education, idrottsforum.org

Table of Contents:

Introduction  Part 1: Play as Life  1. Bringing Play to Life and Life to Play: A Vitalist Line of Enquiry  2. Play as Portal to Awakening in the Blithesome Wanderings of Chuang Tzu  3. Life-as-play from East to West: A Comparative Analysis of Play in Aurobindo and Schlick  4. Playing in the Web: New Babylon and the Internet  Part 2: Play as Games  5. Five Millennia of Player Practices  6. On the Relationship Between Philosophy and Game-Playing  7. Gags and Games: Wittgenstein and His Relation to Jokes  Part 3: Play as Art  8. Staying with the In-Between: Arts Practice as a Form of Thinking about Play and Everyday Encounters in a Public Square  9. The Role of Competition in Musical Play  10. The Ambiguity of Reality: Towards an Awareness of the Significant Role of Play in Higher Arts  11. Art as Play: A Philosophical Comparison of Adults’ and Children’s Art  12. The Artwork as a Perpetual Re-enactment  Part 4: Play as Politics  13. The Flow of Play Among Toddlers in Kindergarten  14. Between Utopia and Arcadia: How the Playground Epitomizes Visions of Play, Childhood and Societal Longings  15. Play Against Alienation?  16. Playing Your Self: Modern Rhetorics of Play and Subjectivity