Description: A radical redefinition of philosophy as a form of play that subverts traditional ideas of philosophical practice.
Brief description: Matthew R. McLennan is Full Professor in the School of Ethics and Public Affairs, Saint Paul University/Université Saint-Paul, Canada.
Review Quotes:
"Matthew McLennan's Philosophy and Play is a compelling dialogue between play and philosophy that raises vital questions about the meaning, significance, and ontology of each. McLennan's assertion of the subjectivity of play is particularly welcome, undermining the many attempts that invoke it as metaphor and illustration without considering its distinctiveness. This, then, is an important philosophical assessment of play and playful assessment of philosophy that is both sceptical of many of the conventions of analyses of play while challenging us to rethink both play and philosophy as places to make and make sense of a world in motion." --Malcolm MacLean, Academic Director of the Doctoral College, University of Wales Trinity St David, UK and Senior Research Associate, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
"McLennan manages that rare accomplishment of combining informality, accessibility, and deep scholarship, ranging across myriad thinkers, writers, concepts, and practices. Nothing and nobody is let off the hook, not even himself. Play, philosophy and the authors he engages with are all subject to playful, philosophical, respectful, generous, and serious scrutiny. For those who enjoy playing with philosophy, philosophizing about play, and musing on the relations between the two, this book is a gem." --Wendy Russell, Senior Research Fellow, University of Gloucestershire, UK