Philosophy of sport is an area of philosophy that seeks to conceptually analyze issues of sport as a human activity, falling primarily into five philosophical categories: metaphysics, ethics and moral philosophy, philosophy of law, political philosophy, and aesthetics. The philosophical perspective on sport originated in Ancient Greece and experienced a revival in the latter part of the twentieth century through the work of Paul Weiss and Howard Slusher; it incorporates sport's metaphysical relationship with art and play, ethical issues of virtue and fairness, and broader sociopolitical questions.
Facts
Central QuestionSourced to the subject's own accountWhat is the nature of sport as a human activity, and how should its metaphysical, ethical, aesthetic, legal and political dimensions be understood? 1 Key DebateSourced to the subject's own accountWhether Bernard Suits' 1988 definition of sport as an institution distinct from mere play or games correctly captures what sport is, a definition later scholars have challenged and disputed. 1 Key DebateWhether the use of performance-enhancing drugs and methods is compatible with the spirit of sport, since the very impulse to improve human performance through reason and judgment embodies that spirit, the pro-doping position, or whether such enhancement undermines the sporting excellence contest exists to test, the anti-doping position. 2 Connections
Associated With
Source Philosophy of Sport (Wikipedia)
Source Philosophy of Sport (Wikipedia)
Source Philosophy of Sport (Wikipedia)
Source Philosophy of Sport (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Philosophy of Sport (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
These issues cover many areas, but fall primarily into five philosophical categories: metaphysics, ethics and moral philosophy, philosophy of law, political philosophy and aesthetics.
Definition of sport discussion
In his seminal and aptly named "Tricky Triad: Games, Play, and Sport" (1988), Bernard Suits distinguishes sport as "enterprises or institutions" which mere play or game fail to meet. Other scholars have developed challenging accounts from Suits on all three, and have disputed his definition of sport.
View the Source 2. Philosophy of Sport (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationSection 3.3, Performance EnhancementQuote, Section 3.3, Performance Enhancement
Far from being against the spirit of sport, biological manipulation embodies the human spirit - the capacity to improve ourselves on the basis of reason and judgment (Savulescu et al., 2004, 667).
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