Finding Meaning via Contemplative Leisure

James B. WISE

Abstract


The relationship between leisure and meaning lacks a clear, well-developed, philosophical underpinning. To address the situation, this article reports the results of a qualitative investigation aimed at formulating and articulating such a foundation. Hermeneutics, the investigation’s guiding methodology, involved the researcher reading multiple works authored by two prominent philosophers who studied meaning, Viktor Frankl and Martin Heidegger, as well as two works authored by Josef Pieper, a philosopher who extensively studied meaning and leisure. Based on his interpretation of the texts, the present author generated a philosophically based foundation conveying the importance of finding meanings, outlining how meanings come about, and describing contemplative leisure’s role in discovering meanings. The article concludes with two practical applications aimed at helping recreation practitioners support people’s pursuit of meaningful lives.

Keywords: Josef Pieper, Leisure, Martin Heidegger, Recreation, Viktor Frankl


Full Text:

PDF

References


Barker, C. (2006). The concept of praxis: Cultural studies and the leisure industries. In C. Rojek, S.M. Shaw, & A.J. Veal (Eds.), A handbook of leisure studies (pp. 491-503). Palgrave.

Blackshaw, T. (2010). Leisure. Routledge.

Bouwer, J., & Van Leeuwen, M. (2017). Philosophy of leisure: Foundations of the good life. Routledge.

Dustin, C.A., & Ziegler, J.E. (2007). Practicing mortality: Art, philosophy, and contemplative seeing. Palgrave MacMillan.

Frankl, V. E. (2014). The will to meaning: Foundations and applications of logotherapy. Plume. (Original work published 1969).

Frankl, V.E. (1992). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. Beacon. (Original work published 1959).

Gadamer, H-G. (1975). Truth and method (2nd ed.) (G. Barden & J. Cumming, Trans.). Seabury. (Original was published in 1960.)

Gradle, S.A. (2011). A university course in mindful viewing: Understanding art and self through contemplative experience. International Journal of Education through Art, 7(2), 137-151. https://doi.org/10.1386/eta.7.2.137_1

Gradle, S.A. (2012). Restoration of sight through contemplative practice. In L.H. Campbell & S. Simmons III (Eds.), The heart of art education: Holistic approaches to creativity, integration, and transformation (pp. 108-118). National Art Education Association.

Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Harper & Row. (Original work published in 1927.)

Heidegger, M. (1984). Aletheia: Heraclitus, fragment b 16 (D.F. Krell & F.A. Capuzzi, Trans.). In Early Greek thinking (pp. 102-123). Harper & Row.

Heidegger, M. (2008). On the essence of truth (J. Sallis, Trans.). In D.F. Krell (Ed.), Basic writings (pp. 111-138). Harper Perennial Modern Thought. (Original work published in 1961.)

Hermann, H. (2005). On the transcendent in landscapes of contemplation. In R. Krinke (Ed.), Contemporary landscapes of contemplation (pp. 36-72). Routledge.

Hopper, T., Froese, J., & Iwasaki, Y. (2020). Meaning-centered therapeutic recreation. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 54(3), 291-302. https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I3-10199 https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I3-10199

Iwasaki, Y. (2008). Pathways to meaning-making through leisure-like pursuits in global contexts. Journal of Leisure Research, 40, 231-249.

Iwasaki, Y. (2017). Contributions of leisure to “meaning-making” and its implications for leisure studies and services. Annals of Leisure Research, 20(4), 416-426. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2016.1178591

Iwasaki, Y., Coyle, C., Shank, J., Messina, E., & Porter, H. (2013). Leisure-generated meanings and active living for persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 57(1), 46-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355213486359

Iwasaki, Y., Messina, E., Shank, J., & Coyle, C. (2015). Role of leisure in meaning-making for community-dwelling adults with mental illness. Journal of Leisure Research, 47, 538-555.

Iwasaki, Y., Messina, E.S., & Hopper, T. (2018). The role of leisure in meaning-making and engagement with life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(1), 29-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2017.1374443

King, R. (2015). Light and shadow in the forest: A phenomenological exploration of Heidegger’s clearing (die lichtung). Existential Analysis, 26(1), 103-118.

Krinke, R. (Ed.). (2005). Contemporary landscapes of contemplation. Routledge.

Laverty, S.M. (2003). Hermeneutic phenomenology and phenomenology: A comparison of historical and methodological considerations. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2(3), 21-35.

McLean, D.D., Hurd, A.R., & Anderson, D.M. (2019). Kraus’ recreation and leisure in modern society (11th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Pieper, J. (1952). Leisure: The basis of culture. Liberty Fund.

Pieper, J. (1990). Only the lover sings: Art and contemplation (R. Winston & C. Winston, trans.). Ignatius.

Wise, J.B. (2023). A form of leisure to treat busyness and enframing. World Leisure Journal, 65(3), 299-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2023.2199711




DOI: https://doi.org/10.53016/jerp.v5i1.231

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


The Journal of Education and Recreation Patterns © 2023 by The Journal of Education and Recreation Patterns is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0