ABSTRACT
In the early years of the twenty-first century, the multibillion dollar Olympic Games remain sufficiently intriguing to the sport entertainment connoisseur. The ‘core value’, raison d’etre, the fundamental tenet historically invoked as the essence that separates the Olympics, elevates it beyond all other sport competitions, is ‘Olympism’. This chapter aims to provide a social critique of the notion of Olympism and the idea of the Olympics with respect to some of the more prevalent and contentious historical and issues. It argues that in many respects the two are incongruous and shows how, during the twentieth century, the nebulous concept of Olympism became the structural apologetic for the Olympic Games. Officially, the International Olympic Committee Charter promotes the idea of ‘Olympism’ as the guiding philosophy of the games and the cultural infrastructure that supports them and further a philosophy of life that promotes a balancing of body, will and mind.
