PoP Book 06.2s MidRes - Flipbook - Page 29
A selection of spreads from around the book.
Leiden
philosopher, famously
Friedrich Schiller, the German playwright and
humanity through play.
claimed we only realise the true essence of
2.02
though; he meant someHe wasn’t referring to the exuberance of kids,
state where our two basic,
thing a bit more grown-up and idealised. A
thought, are finally
conflicting drives, sensuous desire and rational
By using both these
apart.
them
released from the tension which holds
he said, we can be freed to
drives to their fullest potential through play,
of an equal and harmonious
create real beauty — particularly in the sense
clearer when you find out
community. His utopian ideal may become
which had just hit its
he was writing at the time of the French Revolution,
most terrifying and violent peak.
2.03
•
2.04
his books in a wood-polishAbout a hundred and forty years later, bent over
historian Johan Huizinga
scented study at Leiden University, the Dutch
quote. His own vision of play
spent many hours thinking about Schiller’s
he wrote his famous
when
and,
time
had been taking shape for a long
of The Middle Ages),
work, Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen, (Autumntide
rites and festive energy
it crystallised around the courtly life, religious
play to be our most fundof Medieval Europe. Huizinga already considered
all social institutions grow
amentally beautiful quality, so he laid out how
and law — the entirety, in fact,
out of play: literature and the arts, philosophy
2.05
of culture.
wherever culture develops
He also formed the rather depressing idea that
down over time, thanks to our
the most playful element is inevitably worn
unstoppable drive for efficiency.
2.06
2.01
2.07
Section 02
had caused a stir by publishing
In 1935, two years after Hitler’s coup, Huizinga
which damned
a punchy critique called In the Shadows of Tomorrow,
him. ‘We live in a mad world,’
the slide into totalitarianism he saw all around
insanity suddenly turned
he wrote, and ’It would surprise no one if this
stupefied,
humanity
European
poor
this
leaving
into a frenzy of destruction,
the spirit gone.’ Now, in
the motors still running, the flags waving, but
Depression pummeling the
1938, with the secondary surge of the Great
outside his window, with
Netherlands, and people tooling up for war just
works on our subject: Homo
ironic timing, he published one of the classic
Ludens (Man the Player).
Mind Games
35
34
whether it’s CEO,
play their games for titles,
a finite game. Finite players
e is all about their title,
the class. And if someon
World Champ, or top of
on a game that’s already
wrong place because it’s
the
in
is
focus
their
then
their names — who they
, by contrast, only have
in the past. Infinite players
and possibility.
else is open to change
really are — everything
game occurs within
of these games. A finite
And then there’s the setting
any cultural setting you
conceptual sphere in
a world — an intangible
Even if you strip out
also call it a playground).
could
(you
e
imagin
om
care to
pitch markings, classro
ts of boardroom tables,
all the physical elemen
form of an audience observthe
in
exists
still
world
lecterns, whatever, the
need this audience, this
taking part. Finite players
lves
ing the contest without
themse
tanding
kind of reference for unders
world, to give them some
it. Simultaneously,
they are. They’re lost without
— showing them who
to remain intact.
of the finite game in order
to
the world needs the theatre
audience don’t really need
the
even
,
though
When all is said and done,
their own audience,
of finite games are already
be there, because players
ance.38
perform
g over their own
always watching and worryin
2.25
sense, that have turned
you’ve seen, in the widest
Think how many games
audience, the stage, the
play’. Yes, in one way the
from very playful, to ‘a
become
playing because they
the
to
ion
dimens
new
stadium, add a whole
a line there is to cross
also accentuate how thin
part of the game. But they
bolstering the ego
where the focus is all on
second
for play to become a ‘show’,
come
d
being involve
If all other motives for
and winning new titles.
play — philosophically
searching out the lost
to these, it’s time to start
too.
senses
other
speaking, and in many
Mind Games / Leiden
wants while they’re
others to do as what she
she can coerce or force
. No, infinite players
do that to some degree
interacting. Anyone can
what they want, while
can allow others to do
are strong because they
.
r at whatever they’re playing
they’re playing togethe
•
the one-day creativity
of the preschool, out of
So, now that play is out
the sports field,
ny, and released from
course laid on by the compa
here, and we have
now the playing is everyw
everyone is a player. And
what feels like
to what feels like play and
shape
phical
philoso
a rough
calling play,
origin of the energy we’re
real
the
explore
to
game, we need
nature.
and look at its basic creative
ls play just like men’, we’ll
mistakenly said ‘Anima
Since Johan Huizinga
stepping out into
ways they don’t, and begin
start by looking at the
ch. Oh, and for the
too cautious to approa
much
was
he
y
the vast territor
can swim.
you
if
help
really
it’ll
first bit I should say
2.27
•
ones.
infinite games to finite
quite plain he prefers
But
James Carse makes it
ty and originality lives.
largest part of creativi
After all, that’s where the
be avoided.
worthy, or should (or can)
less
are
games
finite
that isn’t to say
a graze,
like platelets binding in
r
togethe
knit
ly
Ludus and Paidia natural
become essential for
creative play, rules rapidly
and even in the freest
Ultimately, though, a life
ge and new inspiration.
generating new challen
e is more satisfying.
play wherever possibl
that embraces infinite
2.26
be powerful, the infinite
the finite player plays to
Why is that? Because while
too cryptic or wafty, then
strength. If that sounds
ed,
player always plays with
what has already happen
power is a measure of
we can frame it so that
about the strength
is yet to come. We’re talking
but strength is about what
at you — a resilient
embrace whatever comes
fully
and
evolve
to adapt,
isn’t strong because
freedom. The infinite player
state that produces real
49
Mind Games / Toward
the Infinite
