ABSTRACT

What is sport? Why does sport matter? How can we use philosophy to understand what sport means today? This engaging and highly original introduction to the philosophy of sport uses dialogue – a form of philosophical investigation – to address the fundamental questions in sport studies and to explore key contemporary issues such as fair play, gender, drug use, cheating, entertainment and identity.

Providing a clear, informative and accessible introduction to the philosophy of sport, every chapter includes current sporting examples as well as review questions and guides to further reading. The dialogue form enables students to engage in debate and raise questions, while encouraging them to think from the perspectives of athlete, coach, spectator and philosopher. The issues raised present real and complex ethical dilemmas that relate to a variety of sports from around the world such as soccer, athletics, baseball, basketball, hockey and tennis.

No other book brings this rich subject to life through the use of dialogue, making this an indispensable companion to any course on the philosophy or ethics of sport.

chapter |5 pages

Introduction

chapter |19 pages

Dialogue one: Why philosophy of sport?

chapter |23 pages

Dialogue two: What is sport?

chapter |18 pages

Dialogue three: Sportsmanship

chapter |21 pages

Dialogue six: Competition and winning

chapter |20 pages

Dialogue seven: Drugs and sport

chapter |19 pages

Dialogue eight: Gender and sport

chapter |24 pages

Dialogue nine: Fans and role models