Play in Philosophy and Social Thought

<p>To understand play we need a bottom-up phenomenology of play. This phenomenology highlights the paradox that it is the players who play the game but it is also the game which makes us players. Yet what is it that plays us when we play? Do we play the game or does the game play us? These questions concern the relation between the playing subject and play as something larger than the individual - play as craft play as rhythm play between normality and otherness even play as religion as a sense of spiritual play between self and other.</p><p>This goes deeper than the welfare-political or educational intention to make people play or play more or to advise individuals to play in a correct and useful way. Exploring topics such as identity otherness and disability as well as activities including skiing yoga dance and street sport this interdisciplinary study continues the work of the late Henning Eichberg and sheds new light on the questions that play at the borders of philosophy anthropology and the sociology of sport and leisure.</p><p>Play in Philosophy and Social Thought is a fascinating resource for students of philosophy of sport cultural studies sport sciences and anthropological studies. It is also a thought-provoking read for sport and play philosophers sociologists anthropologists cultural studies scholars and practitioners working with play.</p>