Gurevich, P. S. Existence of Play

Abstract: Pavel Gurevich emphasizes the special role of play in the structure of the main sides of human existence listed by Eugene Fink – labor, play, love and death. Indeed, each of these concepts reflects the basic aspect of human existence. They can be also viewed as an independent phenomenon. However, Pavel Gurevich believes play to have a singular feature. Play constitutes other sides of human existence. For example, it is impossible to imagine labor without play activity. Play probably appeared earlier than labor in pre-human history. Play intertwines different sides of social activity and turns people into executors of social roles. This refers to economic activity, too. Economic activity is not built only upon the common sense and productivity. Economic activity always has the element of play. Politics is a great sphere for play activity, too. In his research Pavel Gurevich used the method of philosophical anthropological analysis. Phenomenology of play is related to human nature and typical human fervour and attitude to unexpected fate. Pavel Gurevich also uses the methods of historical description of play activity. Special attention is paid to the phenomenology of play as well as its universal role in human activity in general and in researches of the sides of human existence in particular. The novelty of the article is caused by the fact that even though many philosophers have studied sides of human existence, a special role of play in human activity is studied for the first time. The author underlines that play reveals the nature of other aspects of human activity. If we had eliminated the element of play from labor, economic, political and sexual practices, it would have completely changed not only the entire style of life but also the essence of human existence.

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