Play-related book triptych
When Huizinga said, ``Humans are creatures to play,'' modern Western society, which has valued (most respected) labor (production), Ha!” I was surprised. It is true that the West does not follow Hesiod's work and day or since Adam and Eve's "expulsion from paradise", I have preached the importance of production (although I don't understand the story of Cain and Abel).
I have been working seriously (I think so). But I hated my job. I wasn't a ``player,'' but I was never a ``worker.'' In Japan, there are words to express play (playboy): ``drink, hit, buy.'' I love alcohol. ``Strike'' is gambling. I didn't have the money to "buy" though.
Even though gambling is socially criticized, it has continued for a long time. In some cases, it continues, and even though it is prohibited by law, the government is in charge. The same goes for lottery tickets. Additionally, casinos are about to be launched under the name Integrated Resorts (IR).
Actually, I love gambling. I used to play pachinko a lot. When I run out of money, I feel so desperate that I feel like I'm about to pee. And what supports that is the joy of winning, but it's the opposite. That's why I stopped playing pachinko. It's obvious that it will destroy you.
I can't say that "life is a gamble", but since we live in a monetary economy, we can say that "money" is in our minds. Without money, life is just a game. "Capitalist society" itself is gambling. The separation of production and consumption, of use value and value (exchange value), is what Marx called the "death leap".
Chance
Gambling is a world of unpredictability, uncertainty, or chance (unless you match-fix). Of course, there is "technology" in pachinko, mahjong, or bridge playing cards.
Now again, neither Piaget nor Huizinga give any thought to the play of chance. (P.263)
Maybe so. Even in the ``rain-making ritual,'' we don't know whether it will actually rain or not. That's why I "hope". If it's definitely going to rain, there's no need for a ceremony.
There exists and continues to exist the ultimate element of play. (P.276)
I think that uncertainty, or chance, is an insoluble problem for human consciousness that cannot grasp "existence itself". So play. Is there anyone who can act rationally (logically)? It is difficult to act consciously all the time. Breathe and move your heart. Whether you call them "paralyzed muscles" or "conditioned reflexes" or define them as "unconscious", you still cannot control them.
Still, I think humans have a desire to "control" and "dominate" things. That is the basis of "science". Science is a translation of "science". The original word is "scientia" in Latin. In English, it means "knowledge," "knowing, knowledge." The German word "Wissenschaft" is easy to understand. It's really about knowing. At the same time, it also means ``academic'' or ``science.'' The root word ``skei-'' in science means ``to cut, to divide.'' If the Japanese word ``understanding'' comes from the word ``divide,'' then it would be the same idea. It has a different connotation when it means "to do").
Classification
The modern Western way of thinking is that you can understand the whole thing by classifying it. . Even if we analyze and classify play, can we understand it? If you understand the parts, you can understand the whole; this is reductionism. Kinji Imanishi says:
The reason is that reductionism, that is, if you explain it at a lower level, it is natural science, and this is one of the promises of natural science. This seems to be a good thing in the world of physics and chemistry, but living things are a little more complex, and there are doubts as to whether such genes can really explain the problems of species and evolution. (『Nature/Humanity/Civilization』 NHK Books, P. 35)
Even if we understand the characteristics and essence of play, it is important to understand that it is a cause-and-effect theory. ) Do you think that ``because..., therefore...'' is an explanation of play? As Caillois says, ``Play produces nothing.'' exactly.
The flow that ``separating (classifying)'' becomes ``understanding'' and that becomes ``academics/science'' is a natural and unquestionable process in the West. I guess that's the case. Caillois's method can be said to be ``academic learning'' that exactly follows this.
The first chapter of this book is "Definition" and the second chapter is "Classification". ``Define'' means ``define a boundary (limit).'' When you set boundaries, you separate (classify) what is inside and what is outside. This is what I mean by "scientific".
Production (creation)
However, there is a big wall between "knowing" and "controlling (managing)" .
For civilization is a system controlled from a cruder world, sometimes relying on a balanced and consistent system of rights and duties, sometimes privileges and responsibilities. Because it consists in moving into the world. (P.24)
I feel that humans cannot live in a ``crude world'' and ``chaos.'' The act of ``knowing'' may be about finding ``order (rules)'' in the chaotic real world. Animals may be differentiating the world around them, insects are insects, and plants are plants. Humans may simply express this as ``understanding.''
Living is to distinguish between what you can drink and what you can eat (nutrition) from nature. In a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, nothing is produced (by hunting or gathering). The word "produce" originally means "to bring out, to bring out." Does it mean bringing out what was originally there, what was hidden and invisible, to a place where it can be seen? Agriculture, industry, and sculpture all involve the act of finding an idea (form) in something that originally existed (material). It is not about creating something out of nothing. Christianity believes that only God creates. Creation is God's domain, and it is something that humans cannot and must not do. I think it was connected (fused, used?) with classical Greek philosophy.
We are currently rebroadcasting ``Don't Call It a Mystery''. This is my favorite work. The movie is said to be released this month. I want to watch it, but I don't have the money, so I'll wait for it to be aired on TV (how many years from now?), but the drama says, ``Humans can't even make honey like bees. (Maybe?) But it's not beyond nature.'' This is an argument often brought up by proponents of nuclear power and those who want to approve genetic engineering. That's just the way it is. However, whether or not we approve of the act of destroying humanity (creatures) is a different matter. It is not beyond nature that people die in war, and even if humanity were to die out, it would not be a supernatural phenomenon (phenomenon).
``Genetic manipulation'' has a slightly different meaning. This is because if "creatures (species)" that do not exist in the natural world were created, this would be different from the Bible's statement that "God created all animals and plants" (this is why Darwin was criticized). At some point, the word "production" changed to mean "creating something from nothing." Humans come to believe that they are equal to God, or even better, and God is forgotten.
Agriculture is also about seeds, which become crops, so it is not about creating something out of nothing. Crops (products) are nothing more than the act of bringing out the essence of seeds. However, seeds do not become crops if left alone. You will need to plant it in the soil, water it, weed it, and protect it from other animals. In other words, it must be "managed (cared for)." I think this leads to the feeling that ``I created it myself.'' This may be why God did not accept Cain's offering. We are "descendants of Cain" and have forgotten God.
Managing is different from "dominating". “Ruling” probably means “dividing and distributing” or “sharing the burden.” "Control,steer" changes to "govern".
"Know - Manage - Dominate" - this is where human consciousness and the way we interact greatly changes. The first chapter of Genesis in the Old Testament says, ``Dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the creatures that crawl on your blood.'' I've only read a few pages of the Bible and don't know the Hebrew or what it means, but it could be that Abel was in control of the sheep and did what God told him to do, but Cain disobeyed. not.
That's not what I mean by "awareness/way of involvement." It means whether or not we relate to other animals and plants, as well as other people, societies, and countries, as ``subjects.'' I think it's easy for Japanese people to understand the meaning. Whether hunting and gathering or farming, humans interacted with others and nature in a passive manner. Everything is "the blessings of nature," "the blessings of heaven (God)," and "the blessings of the sea." Of course, just opening your mouth doesn't mean your stomach will swell, so you can engage in natural activities such as farming and fishing. However, I don't think this was the kind of independence that would allow us to "manage" or "dominate" nature.
Reason
Earlier, I wrote that ``understanding'' means ``understanding (something) with reason.'' In this case, ``principle'' is not Japanese-style ``kotowari,'' but Western-style ``logic and reason.'' "Logic (logos, λόγος)" has various meanings, but I think it is originally a "word". It is ``something on the side of humans'' and seems to have been used in contrast to ``mythos (μύθος)'', ``something on the side of God'' (although this is inaccurate). What connects these myths and words is ``breath (life/soul, psyche, Ψυχή)'' and ``nature (physis/fusis, φύσις).'' Words exist together with ``breath/life.''
Christianity has interpreted this as "Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος (In the beginning was the Word)" (Gospel of John, Chapter 1, 1.1). The idea of bringing the Logos closer to God may have been to make it fit with the Greek (Hellenistic culture) of the time. In any case, I think that by doing so, humans have taken the first step toward approaching the side of God. In Japanese, does this mean that ``to understand kotowari'' has become closer to or has the same meaning as ``to understand by reason (logic, consciousness)''?
Humans and nature were neither equal nor in opposition. It was not the relationship between dogs and cats or sheep and wolves. The existence of a ``human'' person, Jesus Christ, who is the mediator between God and humans, combines with the Greek concept of ``reason'' and brings the human perspective closer to God. It is the birth of man (Homo sapiens, rational man). It was Huizinga's "Homo Ludens" that objected to this.
The play of chance, which is also the play of money, is in fact given no place in Huizinga's book. This kind of bias is quite problematic.
The reason for this prejudice is not unknown. For it is certainly much more difficult to prove the cultural creativity of chance play than that of competitive play. But this does not mean that the effect of chance play is insignificant, even if we rate it as bad. Moreover, ignoring accidental play gives play a definition that asserts or implies that it does not involve any economic gain. (P.33)
I think Caillois is correct (although I'm not ignoring coincidence. "Homo Ludens” Chuko Bunko, P401~, etc.). But seeking 'cultural creativity' in play is not Huizinga's intention.
Culture does not begin as a play, but with a play Not even. It begins in play. (Huizinga, “Homo Ludens, Nakako Bunko, p.165)
Culture, at its most fundamental stage, was something to be played with. It does not emanate from play as a living organism is born from a mother. It develops in play and as play . (ibid., p. 355)
And as ``the sober rule of the nineteenth century,''
labor and production are ideals of the age. Eventually, it became an idol. Europe wore working clothes. (Ibid., P.390)
The very idea of production, ``Because it is the raw material, it is the product'' is modern Western. Utilitarianism, of course, logic, reason, reductionism, economics, production, etc. pretends to be the legitimate offspring of ancient Greece (although there are actually some aspects of it), but modernity is similar to Christianity incorporating Hellenism. It is a way of thinking (style) that is characteristic of the West and beyond.
In short, the question of whether play or serious construction comes first is a moot point. Explaining play in terms of laws, customs, and rituals, or conversely, explaining the rules of jurisprudence, liturgy, martial arts, syllogisms, and aesthetics in the spirit of play, are complementary operations that are mutually exclusive. Unless we are happy, we are all equally fruitful. (P.116)
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is a typical example of causal theory. It is right to criticize this, but "complementary" is the complete opposite of Huizinga's idea.
The Sacred
I am willing to acknowledge the connection between the playful and the sacred. Not only that, but I also think it's okay to water Huizinga's rice fields. However, I disagree with Huizinga on a crucial point. Even if forms of play and devotion are the same in that they deliberately separate themselves from the flow of everyday life, they also occupy an equivalent position in everyday life, and therefore share the same content. Because I don't even think that I have it. (P.291)
Caillois is "serious" in the modern sense.
To gamble is to give up work, patience, and thrift. (P.189)
I don't think that "sacred things (or labor)" or "faith" are the same as play. That's why we emphasize "play of chance." We do not want chance or "chaos" to enter the realm of faith.
Consequently,
A hierarchy of "sacred--professional--play" should balance the Huizinga structure. (P.295)
. It seems to me that "secular" is "depraved sacred things" and "play" is "depraved daily life." . There is a clear "value judgment" there.
That's his Nomos (rule, νόμος) orientation. And he tries to incorporate play and chance into the world of "science" and "academics."
The first part of this book is "Definition" and "Classification". The second part is ``Sociology of Play''. Both are “sociology as a discipline”.
The fact that this freedom, this degree of enthusiasm, and enthusiasm unfolds in an isolated, imaginary world free of all inevitable consequences, these , in my opinion, explains the cultural richness of play. They also make us understand the fact that play choices reveal, within certain limits, the faces, patterns, and values of each society. (P.120-121)
In other words, I am not just thinking about the sociology of play. He is thinking of laying the foundation for sociology with play as the starting point. (P.121)
Cailois' critique of contemporary society based on his "play-based sociology" is quite poignant. The first edition was originally published in 1958. It was 65 years ago. The exact same thing is repeated (read this book for details). For example, regarding "idols" and "sports (watching) enthusiasm"
The key to interpreting this enthusiasm is, of course, not the great performances of competitors and performers, Rather, it is a general desire to identify with champions and stars. (P.201)
Moreover, one can easily smell something obscure, impure, or slovenly in these [fancy] occupations. Even in veneration there remains a residue of envy, which inevitably reveals ambition and intrigue, success tainted by dishonesty and advertising. (P.201-202)
In other words, when the gift of luck smiles upon the miserable, [in the case of stars, etc.] they are told to believe in luck, and the gift of luck is born. They deny the advantage of luck when they promise bright futures to the children of those in power. (P.205)
They form part of the permanent apparatus of a given society. (P.205)
Since the drama and background of the idols' luxurious and fulfilling lives are delivered to the fans on a daily basis, it is easy for them to enter into their fantasies. The fans then let the idols play in their imaginations. Whereas masks are used only infrequently and are largely useless, mimicry spreads without bounds, supporting or counterbalancing the new norms that govern society. (P.206)
In the past, it was reported only in sports magazines and entertainment magazines. Everything, including food preferences, becomes ``public'' as ``information.'' Then, regardless of their skills or works, they are expelled from the entertainment world (sports world) for cheating, drugs, etc. This is exactly what Caillois calls ``mimicry'' (mock, in this case, proxy). I think this is an excellent analysis of contemporary culture.
Liberty and Equality
Agon and Area represent opposing, symmetrical attitudes, but both follow the same code. It is a rule that artificially creates conditions of pure equality between players that cannot exist in reality. (P.53)
Under certain "restrictions" and "rules" under "competition (struggle)" and "chance play (lottery etc.)", Participants are "equal." They play by ``artificially creating'' the premise that birth and upbringing (and wealth?) have nothing to do with it.
Which parent or family a child is born into is also a "coincidence." It is truly a "parent gacha". It is beyond the efforts and will of the person himself. Does the fact that it is a coincidence mean that it is "equal"?
First of all, luck is tied to heredity itself. This is because heredity distributes talents and defects unequally. Secondly, it is in exams that luck always intervenes. It's designed to let the best performers win, but sometimes fate smiles on the applicant who hits the mark. Actually, it is not impossible. (P.186)
It means that people are not equal just because they are born.
However, it certainly cannot be accepted that it is due to birth or luck. This is because it is unacceptable to make fun of equality and hard work. The work done is the measure of justice. As a result, a regime that has both a socialist and a communist character rests entirely on Agon. (P.253)
Ignore the word "justice" that came up. There seems to be some kind of typo, but I'll ignore that too. Caillois may dislike socialism and communism, but neoliberalism is completely based on agonism (competition). It is the world of "the law of the law" or "social evolution theory (social Darwinism)". What did "equality" and "freedom" mean to Caillois? I couldn't read it clearly.
It is true that living and being born have certain limitations. Not only can children not choose their parents, but there are always limitations, such as being able to run but not being able to fly or breathing underwater. Even if you think it's okay to have three hands, most people only have two, and some people only have one, and some people don't have both.
Earthquakes hit some regions, and typhoons hit other regions, causing damage. Typhoons don't come very often where I live. But what I do remember is when I was little, there was a big typhoon, and when I looked out the window, I saw all kinds of things flying in the sky. My parents were upset, but I was happy.
To truly play, one must become a child again. (Huizinga, supra, p.402)
What about children today? On TV, every station repeatedly broadcasts the damage and conditions at evacuation centers as ``horrifying,'' ``sad,'' and ``miserable.'' I think that today's children may not be able to enjoy typhoons and earthquakes. Maybe it's because adults are serious.
It is only when you are young that you think that human beings have "freedom", that there are no limits of space or time. As we grow older, we realize that space (body) and time (life) have limits. It's not about "understanding", it's about "feeling". On the other hand, do young people have no limitations in space or time? It seems like that's just what you think (assume). When I was young, I thought that my possibilities were endless, and I think I even thought that I would never grow old. He believed in the "importance of freedom," hated "inequality," and was thinking of realizing "democracy" in order to achieve "freedom and equality" (please don't ask me if he did it). ). He was serious.
Ideals such as labor, education, and democracy have left little room for the eternal principle of play. (Huizinga, op. cit., p. 394)
Play has become too serious. The atmosphere of play has more or less escaped from there. (P.400)
I can understand why serious Caillois wants to criticize Huizinga. Because it's the same as myself. As Caillois realized, humans are not equal. The reason doesn't lie in the family you were born into or your genes. Because it's not "the same". You and I are different, just like dogs and cats are different. People will say, "Aren't you the same person?" that's right. But is it possible to set boundaries and define a human being? Does such a thing objectively exist?
Ego
Just as the definitions of "red" and "blue" differ depending on culture and time, the definition of "human" also differs depending on culture and time.
Establishing the norms of Alea and Agon as the basis of social life in place of the authority of Mimicry and Ilinx, if this leads to a narrow gate leading to civilization and history (to progress, to the future) Or, if it corresponds to such a decisive and difficult leap forward, then what kind of mysteries are there as to why certain societies were able to break out of the vicious cycle based on the combination of simulation and dazzle? Surely this is worthy of study, whether by chance the impossibility happened. (P.228)
Hasn't Western culture always asked that question? At the very least, even after exchanges with other cultures became more radical in the fields of natural history and anthropology, weren't they more focused on ``managing'' and ``dominating'' other cultures than on ``understanding'' them? Uka
As I wrote earlier, the big barrier between understanding and managing/ruling is independence. The subject is always present. However, it is characteristic of the modern West that it bloated and became "ego". Until then, religion (or customs) had stopped the expansion of the mainstream, not only in the West but also in India, China, and Japan. The bloated ego began to think of religions and customs as ``bindings of the ego''.
And freedom, historically, has been freedom from . (Translator's commentary, p.350)
There is no such thing as "freedom" objectively. And the ego began to think about freedom from the bondage of "nature (body, existence)." That is modern science (academics) and convenience stores (convenience). But did it really set you free? It seems to me that this is nothing more than a vicious circle that creates new "inconvenience (bondage)."
In painting, perspective is largely a convention. Promises create habits, and habits eventually make them seem natural. (P.22)
The nature, and the ego, feel "bound".
There is something arbitrary about these rules, and anyone is free to reject them if they find them strange or restrictive. They can draw pictures without perspective, write poems without rhyme or meter, and compose music outside of loose chords. By doing so, however, people are not playing play, but helping to destroy play. For, as in play, rules only exist if people follow and respect these rules. (P.22-23)
I believe that the problems of modern countries (in developed countries) lie in the inability to overcome the ego that feels constrained.