The Grasshopper – Third Edition
In the mid twentieth century the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein famously asserted that games are indefinable; there are no common threads that link them all. “Nonsense,” said the sensible Bernard Suits: “playing a game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” The short book Suits wrote demonstrating precisely that is as playful as it is…
Philosophizing About Games
What exactly are games, and why do we play them? Ludwig Wittgenstein famously used the concept ‘game’ to illustrate what he called ‘family resemblance’—the idea that some things don’t have a single, defining characteristic. Some games are amusing, some games are competitive, and some games require a board, but not one of these traits is…
Philosophy of Sport: Core Readings – Second Edition
This second edition of Philosophy of Sport: Core Readings provides an overview of core topics in the field, ranging from fundamental questions about the nature of sport to ethical issues at the forefront of discussions of what sport should be. On the nature of sport, readers will gain a solid understanding of fundamental theories of…
Our position on the revised Canadian Copyright Act
Recently the following letter was sent to the heads of major Canadian universities. It outlines our concerns about how recent changes to the Canadian Copyright Act are being interpreted by institutions of higher education.
About Us
Broadview: An Introduction The word “broadview” expresses a good deal of the philosophy behind our company. Our focus is very much on the humanities and social sciences—especially literature, writing, and philosophy—but within these fields we are open to a broad range of academic approaches and political viewpoints. We strive in particular to produce high-quality, pedagogically…
The Rules of the Game
An Excerpt from The Grasshopper, Third Edition, by Bernard Suits In this passage, the Grasshopper explores the possibility of playing a game without any rules. Ivan and Abdul [I began] had been officers of general rank before each was retired and ‘elevated’ to the post of ambassador in the backwater capital of Rien-à-faire. Both had…