I've been working lately on a ludic theory of human nature. In case you haven't studied Latin in a while, I hereby inform you that ludic means playful. I'm calling my theory a ludic theory because if I called it a playful theory you wouldn't take it seriously. ... My theory--which I outline here--is that play is the germ we inherited from our animal ancestors that grew in us to make us, in the best sense, human. It provides, among other things, the foundation for art, music, literature, theoretical science, and religion. It also is a means by which we resist our drives to hurt and dominate one another. Read More