Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Quoting Finite and Infinite Games

Author:David McCusker
Posted:7/16/2000; 11:30:32 AM
Topic:scriptingNews outline for 7/14/2000
Msg #:18717 (In response to 18713)
Prev/Next:18716 / 18718

Will Conant: Who wrote that book? I'd like to read it again.

Carse, James P.
Finite and Infinite games.

Includes index.
1. Life. 2. Games-Symbolic aspects. 3. Religion. 4. Philosopy. I. Title.
BD431.C297 1986 110 86-14304
ISBN 0-02-905980-1

The following extended quote from section is 6 is a good taste of the material. My intention is that this long quote is fair use, because I expect it might move some folks to buy the book when they otherwise would not.

Infinite players cannot say when their game began, nor do they care. They do not care for the reason that their game is not bounded by time. Indeed, the only purpose is to prevent it from coming to an end, to keep everyone in play.

There are no spatial or numerical boundaries to an infinite game. No world is marked with the barriers of infinite play, and there is no question of eligibility since anyone who wishes may play an infinite game.

While finite games are externally defined, infinite games are internally defined. The time of an infinite game is not world time, but time created within the play itself. Since each play of an infinite game eliminates boundaries, it opens to players a new horizon of time.

For this reason it is impossible to say how long an infinite game has been played, or even can be played, since duration can be measured only externally to that which endures. It is also impossible to say in which world an infinite game is played, though there can be any number of worlds within an infinite game.



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