The Province of Play: Creativity and Responsiveness

This chapter reconstructs classical debates about play among figures such as Huizinga, Caillois, and Ehrmann. It explains how play instantiates in its unique way the six features of a cognitive style of any finite province of meaning. The chapter examines the evolutionary and genetic precedents of adult play (animal and child play) and draws connections between play and other finite provinces of meaning, such as music, humor, or religious ritual. It conceives play as resilient, even overcoming the imposed relevances it creates within its own boundaries (e.g., competition and rules). In addition, it highlights the unique, highly spontaneous sociality that it fosters and that exemplifies responsiveness.