چكيده لاتين
Abstract
This dissertation seeks to understand the relationship between play and theology, or more precisely, the theological dimension—namely, worship and ritual. The central, underlying question throughout this work is:
Can a theological framework be established on the basis of an ontological analysis of play?
To address this question, the first step is to analyze the ontological structure of play and identify its essential characteristics. Such an analysis requires a precise methodology; therefore, following Heidegger, this dissertation adopts phenomenology as the primary method of ontology.
The first part of the dissertation is dedicated to outlining this method and then proceeds with a phenomenological investigation into the ontological features of play and its structural resemblance to ritual and worship.
In the second chapter, we turn to Kantian philosophy to argue that time is not only a transcendental condition of empirical knowledge but also the foundational condition of the ontological structure of all understanding—whether empirical or otherwise—and of any subjective determination, including the categories themselves.
Moreover, Kant explicitly identifies the faculty of imagination as a fundamental power of the human mind. According to his argument in the Transcendental Deduction, imagination plays a crucial role in the very possibility of understanding, including empirical cognition.
We demonstrate how the fundamental status of imagination, through its intrinsic connection to time, paves the way for a play-like interpretation of the structure of understanding within Kant’s system.
Finally, in the third chapter, drawing on Gadamer’s distinctive analysis of play, we argue in favor of the idea that understanding is essentially structured in a liturgical or worship-like manner.
Keywords: Play, Ritual, Theology, Imagination, Temporality, As-If
