Blog 5:What is a Game?

The Game...you play it, you win it, you lose it(ten points to anyone who gets the reference I just made), and sometimes if you're not careful you live it. The term “Game” is defined as “activity engaged in for diversion or amusement” by Webster's Dictionary and the word's origin goes as far back as 2600 B.C. For the longest time the term went undefined. However over the years, many academic philosophers and others have tried to bring their own definition on what they believe a game is. Two of the academic philosophers in question are include Ludwig Wittgenstein and Roger Caillois; two philosophers who shared a different viewpoint on the definition of the word.

Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher in the first half of the twentieth century and a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom from 1939-1947. In 1953, two years after his death his book Philosophical Investigation was published. Among other things, the definition for the word “game” was covered (the first time any philosopher had attempted to bring a definition to the term). In his text Wittgenstein analyzed four games; chess, tic-tac-toe, tennis, and ring-around-the-rosy. His claim upon analysis was that there was no way of defining the term because of the lack of a common feature.(Ludwig Wittgenstein and the problem of games)

His opinion was that some games required luck while others required skill and that there are a list of similarities between some games that overlap and criss-cross with one another, whether that be in detail or in the overall picture of sorts. According to Wittgenstein, in defining “family resemblances” he states that Game A shares features with Game B while Game B shares features with Game C while Game A and C share no features. However, for the record it is to be noted that Wittgenstein was not interested in games per se. It also should be noted that in his text he does not try and find the common feature he claims does not exist but rather offers a few examples and notes on how they do not share certain features. Nevertheless Wittgenstein's analysis remains the earliest definition of what a game is.(Ludwig Wittgenstein and the problem of games)

Roger Caillois was a French intellectual who published his own definition of “game” five years later in his 1958 with his book Man, Play, and Games. His book, contrary to Wittgenstein's gives a definition to the word. In his book, he states that four essential qualities to games: it must be performed voluntarily, uncertain factors, unproductive, and consists of make-believe. Caillois also divided games into four categories: agon (where competition is central and skill determines whether the player is successful or not), alea (random drawing the leads to victory; chance), mimicry (the importance centers on being someone else, playing the role of anyone. Winning is not important as you're simply playing a character; imitation), and Ilinx (offers a chance to experience a pleasurable sensation. Often through physical activities; vertigo).(Roger Caillous and the Sociology of Play) Overall in contrast with Wittgenstein, Caillous not only defined the term “game” but also categorized it in many different ways. Since that time period many other philosophers and people have brought their own definition to the term “game” with different results.

However, at the end of the day the question still remains, “What is a Game?”.

Citations:

Egenfeldt-Neilson, Simon, Smith, Jonas H., and Tosca, Susana. “Ludwig Wittgenstein and the problem of games.” A Media Studies Reader (2010) : pp.152-153. Print.

Egenfeldt-Neilson, Simon, Smith, Jonas H., and Tosca, Susana. “Roger Caillous and the Sociology of Play” A Media Studies Reader (2010) : pp.154-157. Print.