Das spiel mit der Freiheit im spiel Elemente der Bewusstseinsbildung

This paper starts from a discussion of the changes which the uses of the expression playing have undergone in recent times. The interpretation of Huizinga's view, according to whom playing is free acting outside of ordinary life, leads to a discussion of various kinds of playing. Playful behaviour, which opens a multitude of new possibilities to us, is distinguished from playing within a system of rules, which includes the known kinds of games, but can end in congelation because of increasing perfection. Finally, playing is discussed as an aesthetic phenomenon, and its contribution to the development of technology and art is investigated.