Childhood, Adulthood, and the Anti-Game-Over Principle

This conceptual paper develops a developmental-philosophical model of life in which childhood and adulthood are understood not merely as biological phases, but as recurring structural modes of human becoming. At its centre stands the idea that every new adulthood requires a new childhood, and that life may be understood as an open, regenerative process of learning, sustaining, responsibility, and renewal. Using the analogy of an open game, the paper examines the conditions under which “game over” may arise, how it can be avoided, and what it means to live prosperatively in a way that preserves and improves the conditions of further life.