Re: Play and improvisation

lholzman who-is-at sescva.esc.edu
Sun, 11 Feb 1996 16:28:15 -0500

Regarding LSV on play, one page later (p95) he says "Whenever there is an
imaginary situation in play, there arerules--not rules that are formulatedin
advance and change during the course of the gamebut ones that stem from an
imaginary situation." He goes on tospeak of the development of play in terms
of the changing relation between rules and the imaginary situation.
In Lev Vygotsky: Revolutionay Scientist, we discuss V's ideas here in relation
to his oeverall methodolgical insight--namely, the distinction between tools
for results (and rules for results), that isinstrumental tools, and
tols-and-results (and rules-and-results). It is when the creation of the"game"
is inseparable from the creating of the rules of the game that, it seems to us,
is the uniquely human capacity forongoing development (and that is,activity
"proper"). We also discuss LSV on play as compatibile with L Wittgenstein on
language games.
Perhaps this w ill be useful to your class' discussion.
Lois Holzman