Abstract
Donald Winnicott argues that play is essential to happy and healthy adult life, and locates the richest arena for adult play in cultural rather than political experience. Winnicott makes this move with prudential and analytical concerns in mind—for the greater health of democracy and the citizen. Hannah Arendt, like Winnicott, offers powerful normative arguments for establishing forums of playful and spontaneous being-in-the world for adults. Yet, Arendt differs from Winnicott by vitally locating this creative activity in the political rather than cultural realm. This practical opposition between Winnicott and Arendt, despite their parallel embrace of adult play, reveals subtle lines of difference in action-based, creativity-centered philosophies of human flourishing, as well as radically different philosophies of education to develop healthy capacities for action.
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LeJeune, J. (2017). Adults in the Playground: Winnicott and Arendt on Politics and Playfulness. In: Bowker, M., Buzby, A. (eds) D.W. Winnicott and Political Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57533-3_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57533-3_11
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