Which are toys and which are tools?

[vurt]

From a philosophical point of view I understand toy in relation to art and tool in relation to science. This imply that products with the mean of being part of the creative process toward a work of art would be toys, wherease products with the mean of following scientifical standards/recommendations (like the ITU-R BS.1770 or the equal-tempered scale) would be tools.

what about lego?

[fmr]

what about lego?

Good point

[Hink]

One of my favorite Queen songs is the Prophet Song which at the beginning Brian May plays a toy Koto

[Flandersh]

From a philosophical point of view I understand toy in relation to art and tool in relation to science. This imply that products with the mean of being part of the creative process toward a work of art would be toys, wherease products with the mean of following scientifical standards/recommendations (like the ITU-R BS.1770 or the equal-tempered scale) would be tools.

what about lego?

A good question. As it is used as a tool, it must be regarded as a tool. But it is nothing that prevents a tool to be used as a toy.

[rp314]

When I was a kid I had a tool kit but I now know that they were in fact toys.

[Ben H]

Easy answer...

Propellerheads Reason = toy.

[stonestreet]

Are they mutually exclusive? After all they are only words.

[SampleScience]

From a philosophical point of view I understand toy in relation to art and tool in relation to science. This imply that products with the mean of being part of the creative process toward a work of art would be toys, wherease products with the mean of following scientifical standards/recommendations (like the ITU-R BS.1770 or the equal-tempered scale) would be tools.

+1, i'm a philosophy student and can only agree to this statement.