Understanding Humanity through Play: from Historical Roots to Symbolic and Social Dimensions

The work explores play as a key to understanding human experience, from its etymological and sociological roots to its philosophical and pedagogical implications. Drawing on Huizinga, play emerges as a symbolic and cultural matrix, a space of freedom, creativity, and awareness. An analysis of ludus and paidia reveals its dual nature, both structured and spontaneous. Through a review of scholars across various fields of the human sciences, play is confirmed as a tool for growth and learning. In the digital age, as Turkle argues, play can serve as a dialogical space for critical reflection and for cultivating an authentically human education.