A Theory of Play and Fantasy
A Report on Theoretical Aspects of the Project of Study of the Role of Paradoxes of Abstraction in Communication
Book • 1922
In "A Theory of Play and Fantasy," Gregory Bateson investigates how play and fantasy function as special communication frames characterized by paradoxes of abstraction.
He argues that play involves messages that are 'not meant' literally and denote nonexistent things, which allows participants to navigate complex social signals and meanings.
Bateson links play to the evolution of communication, highlighting its role in distinguishing between primary and secondary processes of consciousness and in the development of metacommunication.
This work is foundational in understanding how humans and animals use play to create and interpret symbolic meanings beyond literal reality.
He argues that play involves messages that are 'not meant' literally and denote nonexistent things, which allows participants to navigate complex social signals and meanings.
Bateson links play to the evolution of communication, highlighting its role in distinguishing between primary and secondary processes of consciousness and in the development of metacommunication.
This work is foundational in understanding how humans and animals use play to create and interpret symbolic meanings beyond literal reality.
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