A killjoy named Ernst

Metaethical Reflections on Wargames and Serious Games

Abstract

The term »Spiel« (play) evokes associations of self-containment, harmlessness, or enjoyment. A typical expression is »He is just playing.« »Play« is often defined ex negativo: as non-seriousness, non-work, non-reality. »Wargames« and »Serious Games« challenge everyday understanding and the definitions found in the discourse of Huizinga or Caillois. This paper examines »Wargames« and »Serious Games« from a metaethical perspective, starting with terminology. Everyday approaches serve the question of which realms of meaning the concept of play opens up for understanding. Selected lines of discourse enrich this exploration (e.g., »game« as a metaphor for social interaction; reality and simulation). Additionally, linguistic-historical insights are considered, reaching back to Proto-Germanic (»Spiel,« »Play,« »Game«). Drawing on Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Derrida, and others, language is played with (e.g., Is it allowed to play war, but not to play with war?). Language shifts morally enriched realms of meaning. When language is used consciously, the association of spoiling the game can shift to that of a care-structure of Dasein.