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Philosophy of Sport. Chapter 21. Topics covered in this chapter:. What is philosophy of sport? The nature of sport Ethics and sport Aesthetics and sport Sport and society. What is Philosophy of Sport?. Metaphysics. Aesthetics. The study of what is real. The study of beauty.
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Philosophy of Sport Chapter 21 Sport Books Publisher
Topics covered in this chapter: • What is philosophy of sport? • The nature of sport • Ethics and sport • Aesthetics and sport • Sport and society Sport Books Publisher
What is Philosophy of Sport? Sport Books Publisher
Metaphysics Aesthetics The study of what is real The study of beauty Epistemology Ethics The study of how we ought to live The study of theory of knowledge Logic The study of argument analysis Subdisciplines of philosophy Philosophy Sport Books Publisher
Philosophy today • Application of the same questions that arise from the “big five” to a broad array of topics • Conflict resolution • Feminism • Race relations • Sport • Metadiscipline – examines and evaluates disciplines themselves • The primary tool is logic • Requirements for philosophical analysis: intellectual integrity, open-mindedness, critical attitude Sport Books Publisher
Chess Ultimate fighting Dog fighting Philosophy of sport • Asks questions such as: • What precisely is sport? • Is violence an inescapable part of competitive sport? Etc. • For many, answers to these questions may seem unnecessary • But what is sport? Sport Books Publisher
The Nature of Sport Sport Books Publisher
Early competitive sport – Greek roots • Celebratory funeral games in honor of fallen warriors (Homer, Iliad) • Example: chariot race • Athlein athlete • “to contend”, “to suffer” • Agones agony • “contests,” “places of combat” • Preparation for war and the province of males only Sport Books Publisher
Aretism • The ideal of competitive sports is striving for human excellence (M. Andrew Holowchak) • Ancient Greek component • Arete = “excellence,” “virtue” • Part of culture to strive for excellence in sport • Non-Greek component • Focus on the striving for and not the attainment of victory (how victory is won versus victory) • Play hard but play fair • Ethical component • Core values of competitive sport are not internal to sport but rather are those of human beings in the world at large Sport Books Publisher
Internal goods: love, cooperation, courage External goods: money, approval, fame The “goods” of sport • Children • Do not have fully developed rational faculty • Mostly motivated by external goods (e.g., approval, recognition) • Adults • Have fully developed rational faculty • Some have the capacity to appreciate internal benefits • Others are motivated by external goods like recognition • Professional athletes can be motivated by external goods such as money and fame Sport Books Publisher
Sport and values • Internalism • Values of competitive sport • are unique • and • not reducible • to those of society • Externalism • Values of competitive sport • are not unique • and are merely • a subset of • society’s values • The core values of modern sport: • Derived from society • Do not vary from society to society • Universally embraced by all capable of rationality < Sport Books Publisher