We all came here with the same question... its the question that follows us from birth to the grave, and plagues everyone from the layman to great philosophers.

Why?

It's a rather popular question... In addition, everyone is convinced that he or she is right, everyone else is wrong, and that somehow being right reaps unimaginable benefits. Today, and many days before, this has been called philosophy. The art of trying to be right, and trying to convince others of the same. Your parents have a philosophy about raising you, democrats have a philosophy about raising a country, and Christ had a philosophy about raising the meek. They all believe that they're right, and the way consensus gentium goes, they can't all be right, now can they.

An idea, from James Carse, is that in reality, we've got the purpose of philosophy all turned around... Philosophy is less the dusty volume and academic recognition and more a journey, in which man was never meant to stop. Philosophy has no "end result," but rather a web of change that one works through and with, but never leaves. In fact, one philosophy is never held by two people, for two people are geniuses and worlds unto themselves, and cannot parallel each other in thought, experience, or emotion.

So what is the purpose of life? I mean, that's what philosophy is, isn't it? Be good, go to heaven. Transcend a level. Become one with nature. Get a house, kid, and minivan. Be respected. Philosophy is about ends and the means, right?

That's where Carse differs. Philosophy itself offers no end, so why should life? Even death is no end, as it does not end other's memories of you, or stop your works and accomplishments from affecting others. Carse's philosophy branches out from one simple statement: "There are at least two types of games: finite and infinite."

Now, I won't make you wait until the end of the book to find out what an infinite game is like Carse. An infinite game is this... all of this. Life, Universe, and Everything. The only rule is that play must never end. Moreover, within this infinite game is an infinity of finite games.

One can take life either as a finite player, only seeing the goals of one's self, or one can take life as an infinite player... going for the overall experience of life.

Therefore, school would be a game... so would your work, your role as "mother," or "lover." For none are permanent. You'll retire, your kids will move away, lovers will leave. So what stays? You do, and so does the game. The genius of you, that kernel of a soul no one can know but you will never change, and the game will keep on going. We struggle not to let go of roles as finite players, but as infinite players, we play around with who we can be. We see that the roles are not a part of us, but add to the dynamics of us.