L’utopia del gioco. Per una difesa del diritto internazionale a partire da Johan Huizinga e Virgilio Melchiorre = The Utopia of Play: A Defense of International Law Based on Johan Huizinga and Virgilio Melchiorre

Abstract

This article aims to re-examine the phenomenological reflections on the concept of play found in Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens, integrating them with the perspectives of Virgilio Melchiorre. The objective is to highlight how an authentic ludic consciousness inherently carries the fundamental traits of a typically utopian human intentionality. Building on this foundation, the final part of the paper seeks to update Huizinga’s social analyses. Specifically, it demonstrates how what can be defined as a “utopia of play” can be effectively applied today to defend international law, which is increasingly being called into question.