Book
Homo Ludens
Play & Sport
Culture & IdentityWhat is the book Homo Ludens in the Agency editorial?
Homo Ludens is a book written in 1938 by Johan Huizinga. In Issue.23, the edition says the term Homo Ludens was first coined in this work, which argues that play is a fundamental aspect of human culture that permeates art, language, law and rituals.
In short
In Issue.23, the author describes encountering the term Homo Ludens three times: first in a game by Hideo Kojima, second in research by Vilém Flusser, and third in the 1938 book by Johan Huizinga where the term was first coined. The edition names the full title as Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture, and summarizes Huizinga's thesis that play is a fundamental aspect of human culture, not a trivial activity, and that it permeates art, language, law and rituals. According to Hideo Kojima, the Homo Ludens are those who play to unite people, create culture and shape the world.
Key facts
- What is the book's main thesis according to the edition?
- That play is a fundamental aspect of human culture, not trivial, and it permeates art, language, law and rituals.
- How does the author discover the term?
- First in a game by Hideo Kojima, second in Vilém Flusser's research, and third in Huizinga's 1938 book.
- What does the edition add from Hideo Kojima?
- That the Homo Ludens are those who play to unite people, create culture and shape the world around them.
What is the book Homo Ludens?
Homo Ludens is a book by Johan Huizinga, published in 1938. The edition names the full title as Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture. These identification facts are confirmed by the edition itself.
How does the book appear in Issue.23?
In Issue.23, the author traces his discovery of the term Homo Ludens through three encounters: a game by Hideo Kojima, research papers by Vilém Flusser, and finally the 1938 book by Johan Huizinga. The edition presents Huizinga's thesis that play permeates all aspects of human life and is a crucial element that shapes civilization. It also relays Flusser's connection of the term to the Brazilian way of life, and Hideo Kojima's view that Homo Ludens are those who play to unite people and shape the world.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Also from these editions: concepts
Also from these editions: terms
Related concepts
- Homo LudensHomo Ludens is a cultural concept identifying human beings fundamentally as players who construct civilization through games, ritual, and creative play. It posits that…
- Johan HuizingaJohan Huizinga was a Dutch historian, known for the books The Autumn of the Middle Ages and Homo Ludens. Issue.23 names him once, in the author's prose, as the writer of…