• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.129
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• pp.193-217
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• 2014

The aim of this thesis is to elucidate the meaning of play which constitutes the genuine happiness of human being in Plato's '$heort{\bar{e}}$' and Aristotle's '$schol{\bar{e}}$'. Until now '$heort{\bar{e}}$', a divine act which communicate with original divinity, was differentiated from paidia. And '$schol{\bar{e}}$' was understood as activities in spare time opposed to labour. Plato put '$heort{\bar{e}}$' at the center of their life as a means for gods' blessing. Aristotle understand '$schol{\bar{e}}$' as free activities and the completion of individual life. For Aristotle play is not only a freedom from labour but also a supreme activity. Play itself is an end and a completion. Play is the essence of human life so man can be happy with play. Play is the activity of joy. And play is the most intellectual and spontaneous activity. Now we can assert that '$heort{\bar{e}}$' is the original play which elucidate the existence of the human being in connection with world and is the holy mode of play which makes an affluent life of communities. And we can maintain that '$schol{\bar{e}}$' is a mode of play which freed from the burden of labour and elevate the life of human being to academic activities and contemplative life. By this interpretation we can expose that play is the center of life. We can see the two fold meaning of apollonian-dionysian play and the perfect harmony of communities in Plato's '$heort{\bar{e}}$'. We can see also the delight as splendidness of life in Aristotle's '$schol{\bar{e}}$'. The Plato's theory of play seems different from Aristotle's. But their theories are the same in the general, because they both put play at the center of life and they equally assert that we have to live with playing our life. The world in which play is in harmony with labour- this world is their utopia.