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Play as Symbol of the World: And Other Writings

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Eugen Fink is considered one of the clearest interpreters of phenomenology and was the preferred conversational partner of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. In Play as Symbol of the World, Fink offers an original phenomenology of play as he attempts to understand the world through the experience of play. He affirms the philosophical significance of play, why it is more than idle amusement, and reflects on the movement from "child's play" to "cosmic play." Well-known for its nontechnical, literary style, this skillful translation by Ian Alexander Moore and Christopher Turner invites engagement with Fink's philosophy of play and related writings on sports, festivals, and ancient cult practices.

362 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

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About the author

Eugen Fink

72 books18 followers
Fink was born in 1905 as the son of a government official in Germany. He spent his first school years with an uncle who was a catholic priest. Fink attended a gymnasium in Konstanz where he succeeded with his extraordinary memory. After his graduation exam in 1925, he studied philosophy, history, German language and economics, initially at Münster and Berlin and then in Freiburg with Edmund Husserl.

Husserl's assistant, he was a representative of phenomenological idealism and later a follower of Martin Heidegger. He approached the problem of Being as a manifestation of the cosmic movement with Man being a participant in this movement. Fink called the philosophical problems pre-questions, that will lead to the true philosophy by the way of an ontological practice.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Aslı Can.
742 reviews259 followers
March 16, 2017
Kitabı okumakta çok zorlandım çünkü:
1. Çok fazla kendisini tekrar ediyor.
2. Bir soru sordurup arkasında gelen cümlelerde tamamen o sorudan uzaklaşıyor bu yüzden de anlamak ve takip etmek çok güç.
3. Bir üslubu yok, çok basit yargılar ve anlaması güç cümleler birbirine karışmış.
4. Kitap ismi ile içeriğin uygun olmadığını düşünüyorum.
5. Çok şey söyleyip hiçbir şey söylemiyor gibi bir hali var.

Bu kadar eleştiriden sonra kitabın söylemek istediğini bir cümlede özetlersem; Oyun yaşamın içinde bir çeşni değil, beslenmek gibi yaşamsal bir gerçekliktir.Eugen Fink'in felsefi donanımı olduğu belli ama bu donanımla bir cümlenin etrafında dönen üç yüz küsür sayfa yazmış. Maalesef ben bu kitaptan hiçbir şey öğrenmedim ve anlamadım.
Profile Image for Public_enemy.
81 reviews26 followers
September 2, 2012
One of the worst and most boring books I have ever read! While Fink's "Introduction to philosophy" was great book, this one is totally senseless (subject and presentation).
Profile Image for Karel.
7 reviews3 followers
May 11, 2013
Excellent opposition to Heidegger.
Profile Image for Chet Mlcek.
7 reviews
August 15, 2023
Absolutely fascinating approach and subject. The final chapter leaves one with many open doors.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

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