Life is a game. True or untrue? This class is an attempt to address this oft-posed question by looking at the messy intersection of art, play, digital gaming, and life itself. We’ll ask how human "habitus"—our whole repertoire of social practices, codes, and ethics—is shaped by competition, from the thrill of winning to the embarrassment (and enlightenment) of losing. Along the way, we’ll differentiate between rule-bound games with specific goals and outcomes and open, perhaps liberatory modes of play which exist purely for their own sake. Some sub-topics include the roles of playing and gaming in contemporary art, the extent of prejudice and even abuse in the culture of gaming, and the relation of simulated digital worlds to human and non-human geographies. Students are welcome to suggest alternative readings and topics based on personal or shared interests.Philosophy and Critical Theory (PHCRT) courses focus on developing critical reading and thinking skills, with an emphasis on learning to frame and explore meaningful questions. Students consider multiple perspectives and claims in the process of formulating independent, well-founded opinions.

Visit Workday to view this information.