W chowanego z rozumem. Gry i zabawy, które zmieniły filozofię

The author presents a review of different conceptions of games and plays appearing from late modern philosophy to contemporary theories in order to show, how other than rational behaviours influence the development of cognition and culture. Plays and games create alternative rule systems and manipulate culture elements, giving them new quality. They allow to absorb the new, the strange and the incomprehensible, by transforming current symbolic system. Playing with meanings renew them and thus becomes the driving force of culture. The article refers to the fact, that nowadays game and play are becoming a life strategy, loose their exceptionality and distinction, therefore is not able anymore to fulfill its cultural function.