Pragmatism and the Philosophy of Sport

Edited by John Kaag, Douglas Anderson, Richard Lally

Not available to order

Publication date:

26 October 2012

Length of book:

200 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739178416

Pragmatism and the Philosophy of Sport explores the philosophical significance of sport – the phenomenological experience, the training, coaching, and the competition – from a uniquely pragmatic angle of vision. The philosophical insights of John Dewey, William James, C.S. Peirce, Jane Addams, and Josiah Royce shed new light on the meaning of the physical practices that take place on our soccer fields, national arenas, backyards, and playgrounds. Interestingly, a close examination of these contemporary practices allows us to understand a wide array of ethical, epistemological and metaphysical commitments that the American pragmatic tradition has articulated for more than a century. Pragmatism’s insistence that truth be embodied in the practical consequences of everyday life, its balancing of communal and individual purposes, its emphasis on the role of chance and spontaneity in experience — resonate with the findings of modern kinesiology and sport science.

About the Cover Photo
Introduction: Pragmatism and the Seasoned Practitioner — Richard Lally
Chapter 1: Process and the Sport Experience—Douglas R. Hochstetler
Chapter 2: Peircean Reflections on the Personality of a Fútbol Club—Daniel Campos
Chapter 3: Paddling in the Stream of Consciousness—John Kaag
Chapter 4: Running in Place: Significance on the Treadmill?—Doug Hochstetler
Chapter 5: Where Should LeBron’s Loyalty Lie? Where Should Ours?—Mathew A. Foust
Chapter 6: Agapastic Coaching—Tim Elcombe
Chapter 7: Gender, Sports and the Ethics of Teammates—Brent Crouch
Chapter 8: Dick Butkus, Pragmatism, and Performance Art—Douglas Anderson
Chapter 9: Towards a Somatic Sport Feminism—Joan Grassbaugh Forry
Chapter 10: Living the Injury—Jill Tracey
Chapter 11: Deweyan Pragmatism and Self-Cultivation—Richard Lally

This volume is not part of any existing series of books on philosophy and popular culture. For discussion of such series, see D. Stewart's "Holy Toledo, Batman, We're Philosophers!: Popular Culture for Thinkers," Choice 48(8), April 2011. However, this collection of essays shares with these series the intent to explore the philosophical relevance of nonphilosophical activities. Setting this book apart is its ten contributors' approach to the topic from a single philosophical perspective--pragmatism, as found in the writings of such philosophers as William James, C. S. Peirce, John Dewey, and more recently neopragmatist Richard Rorty. The radical empiricism of William James elevates the importance of knowledge by acquaintance over "knowledge about," or what might be called skill knowledge rather than propositional knowledge. For pragmatists, the phenomenological category of lived experience is more important to understanding sport than is mere conceptual knowledge. The self is an embodied self, rather than a transcendental ego or disembodied cogito. Topics featured in the essays include sports feminism, coaching, self-cultivation, movement, and sports injuries. Sport is not just about competition or winning, but about self-development and self-understanding. These essays show how philosophy can enhance one's understanding of these aspects. Summing Up: Recommended.