Download or read book The Play of Man - Psychological Purpose of Child's Play written by Karl Groos and published by e-artnow. This book was released on 2020-12-17 with total page 477 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Play of Man is a work by Karl Groos, philosopher and psychologist who proposed an evolutionary instrumentalist theory of play. The book suggests that play is a preparation for later life. The main idea is that play is basically useful, and so it can be explained by the normal process of evolution by natural selection. When we "play" we are practicing basic instincts, such as fighting, for survival, just like animals do.