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Finite and Infinite Games: Difference between revisions
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Sure, social hierarchies can be pernicious, where operated by those engaged in a fight to the death, but most people are not. [[Critical theory|Critical theories]] themselves are [[paradigm]]s — social hierarchies of just this kind. Those who who favour any form of communal organisation more developed that flapping around in primordial sludge will concede that social arrangements don’t ''have'' to be destructive: they can be ''con''structive, enabling, levers to prosperity and betterment for everyone who wants it. If we call such a centralised, curated, defended store of knowledge for sharing a “strength structure” it does not sound so ominous. | Sure, social hierarchies can be pernicious, where operated by those engaged in a fight to the death, but most people are not. [[Critical theory|Critical theories]] themselves are [[paradigm]]s — social hierarchies of just this kind. Those who who favour any form of communal organisation more developed that flapping around in primordial sludge will concede that social arrangements don’t ''have'' to be destructive: they can be ''con''structive, enabling, levers to prosperity and betterment for everyone who wants it. If we call such a centralised, curated, defended store of knowledge for sharing a “strength structure” it does not sound so ominous. | ||
{{quote|“Strength is paradoxical. I am not strong because I can force others to do what I wish ''as a result of my play with them'', but because I can allow them to do what they wish ''in the course of my play with them''.”}} | {{quote|“Strength is paradoxical. I am not strong because I can force others to do what I wish ''as a result of my play with them'', but because I can allow them to do what they wish ''in the course of my play with them''.”<ref>[[James P. Carse|Carse]], [[Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility|§]]29.</ref>}} | ||
===“Society” versus “culture”=== | ===“Society” versus “culture”=== | ||
{{quote|“Society they understand as the sum of those relations that are under some form of public constraint, culture as whatever we do with each other by undirected choice. If society is all that a people fells it must do, culture “is the realm of the variable, free, not necessarily universal, of all that cannot lay claim to compulsive authority”.<ref>{{ | {{quote|“Society they understand as the sum of those relations that are under some form of public constraint, culture as whatever we do with each other by undirected choice. If society is all that a people fells it must do, culture “is the realm of the variable, free, not necessarily universal, of all that cannot lay claim to compulsive authority”.<ref><ref>{{carseref}}33 (citing Carl Jacob Christoph Burckhardt).</ref>}} | ||
Perhaps Carse would describe a power structure as “society” and a strength structure “culture”. The historic, zero-sum nature of finite games contrasts with the prospective, permissive nature of infinite ones. | Perhaps Carse would describe a power structure as “society” and a strength structure “culture”. The historic, zero-sum nature of finite games contrasts with the prospective, permissive nature of infinite ones. | ||
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''Culture'' is infinite, unbounded, endlessly creative and sees its history not as destiny, but tradition: a narrative that has been started but is yet to be completed and that may be adjusted as required. Just as one can can play finite games within the context of an infinite one, so can there be society within culture. | ''Culture'' is infinite, unbounded, endlessly creative and sees its history not as destiny, but tradition: a narrative that has been started but is yet to be completed and that may be adjusted as required. Just as one can can play finite games within the context of an infinite one, so can there be society within culture. | ||
===The “theatrical” versus the “dramatic”=== | ===The “theatrical” versus the “dramatic”=== | ||
{{Quote | {{Quote|Inasmuch as a finite game is intended for conclusion, inasmuch as its roles are scripted and performed for an audience, we shall refer to finite play as ''theatrical''. [...]<br> | ||
Inasmuch as infinite players avoid any outcome whatsoever, keeping the future open, making all scripts useless, we shall refer to infinite play as ''dramatic''.<br> | |||
Dramatically, one ''chooses to be'' a mother. Theatrically one ''takes on the role'' of mother.<ref>{{carseref}}15.</ref>}} | |||
This is a harder distinction to glom, especially since Carse concedes that during a finite game the action is “provisionally” dramatic, since the players write the script as they go along. But the object of the game is to ''kill'' the drama by making the outcome inevitable. So provisional, and hostile, to drama. | This is a harder distinction to glom, especially since Carse concedes that during a finite game the action is “provisionally” dramatic, since the players write the script as they go along. But the object of the game is to ''kill'' the drama by making the outcome inevitable. So provisional, and hostile, to drama. | ||
===The value of artists=== | ===The value of artists=== | ||