Philosophy of Sport

Catalog description

This introductory course will address a range of philosophical questions about sport. Some of these questions will concern the nature of sport itself. What is sport? How are sports similar to but distinguished from games or mere exercise? How do the rules of a sport govern play? Is a basketball player who strategically fouls an opponent playing within the rules or outside them? Some of these questions will be ethical. Why is cheating wrong? What is valuable about competition and sportsmanship? Should doping be permitted? Are college athletes being exploited? Some questions will concern the place of sport in society. Does sport enhance or detract from education? Do we place too high a value on sport? In what sense, if any, is it appropriate to treat athletes as role models? The course is specifically designed for students without prior exposure to philosophy and a significant goal of the course is that students develop a range of philosophical skills. Accordingly, we will emphasize an ability to understand and appreciate a diverse range of answers to difficult questions and practice assessing various views through careful argument and analysis. Satisfies a major requirement in Philosophy. Satisifes a minor requirement in Philosophy. Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives requirement.