Homo Ludens: A Study Of The Play Element In Culture
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of cultural theory and philosophy, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture argues that play is not merely a byproduct of civilization but its very foundation — a primary, irreducible force that shapes law, war, poetry, philosophy, and art. Johan Huizinga presents a sweeping, cross-cultural analysis that traces the role of play across ancient and modern societies, illustrating how the magic circle of play — a bounded, rule-governed space set apart from ordinary life — underlies the most serious of human institutions. Written with the erudition of a seasoned historian and the accessibility of a gifted essayist, the work challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries between the sacred and the frivolous, the earnest and the ludic. Huizinga's argument is bold and far-reaching: as modern culture becomes increasingly utilitarian and commercialized, the genuine play spirit erodes, diminishing the vitality of civilization itself. Decades after its original publication, Homo Ludens remains an indispensable text for scholars of anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies, as well as for any curious reader willing to see the world through the transformative lens of play.
Author: Johan Huizinga
Format: Paperback
Published: 1949, Paladin
Genre: Anthropology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of cultural theory and philosophy, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture argues that play is not merely a byproduct of civilization but its very foundation — a primary, irreducible force that shapes law, war, poetry, philosophy, and art. Johan Huizinga presents a sweeping, cross-cultural analysis that traces the role of play across ancient and modern societies, illustrating how the magic circle of play — a bounded, rule-governed space set apart from ordinary life — underlies the most serious of human institutions. Written with the erudition of a seasoned historian and the accessibility of a gifted essayist, the work challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries between the sacred and the frivolous, the earnest and the ludic. Huizinga's argument is bold and far-reaching: as modern culture becomes increasingly utilitarian and commercialized, the genuine play spirit erodes, diminishing the vitality of civilization itself. Decades after its original publication, Homo Ludens remains an indispensable text for scholars of anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies, as well as for any curious reader willing to see the world through the transformative lens of play.