Week 6

Reading Response: Playfulness and Purpose

I've seen videos where animals had a blast playing. A beaver was playing with a crane as if it was a children's silde. And my cat just can't be still for more than 10 minutes. As Kunwoo showed in the game Stray, being a cat is intrinsically playful. Not to mention being a human being!

Principle 6.1: Play is what we do when we are free; play is what we do to be free.

Ge mentioned in Artful Design that play is the epitome of an end-in-itself. I play, therefore I am. I found the concept so fascinating that I did some research in the realm of philosophy.

• Play as a Fundamental Aspect of Being: Martin Heidegger considered play an intrinsic part of human existence, as stated in his book Being and Time. His concepts of authenticity and “being-in-the-world” set the stage for interpretations of play as a form of genuine self-expression. For Heidegger, authentic play represents a way of engaging with the world that transcends mere functionality; it reveals a deeper connection to being, allowing us to explore and express our true selves beyond conventional roles or purposes.
• Play as a Subversion of Seriousness: Friedrich Nietzsche looked at playfulness as an act of subversion, especially against societal expectations or rigid truths. For Nietzsche, playfulness embodies the Dionysian spirit (The Birth of Tragedy), a rejection of constraint and an embrace of vitality, change, and unpredictability. This view sees play as a way to break free from overly serious and rational views of life.
• Play as a Coping Way to Absurdity: Albert Camus and existentialists consider playfulness as a response to the absurdity of life. In the face of an indifferent universe, adopting a playful attitude can be a way of coping with the existential tension between human desire for meaning and the lack of inherent purpose. Playfulness, in this sense, allows us to navigate life’s inherent absurdity by embracing spontaneity and lightness.
• Play as Self-Expression and Identity: In more recent philosophy, especially in postmodernism, playfulness is seen as a way to explore identity and self-expression. Thinkers like Jean Baudrillard argue that in a world saturated by images and simulations, play can reveal or construct various facets of self, challenging the boundaries between reality and fiction (Simulacra and Simulation). The postmodern indentity is filled with playfulness, via which people construct their identity.

These angles of viewing playfulness are not conflicting with each other. Instead, they form a holistic image of the essential role playfulness "plays" in human's search of purpose and identity, as well as our societal construction.