What are human beings in the context of physical education? How should human beings be explained in the theoretical way by the academic cognition of physical education? In general, it belongs to the quite historical and traditional inquiry concerned with theoretical understanding on human beings for philosophy and pedagogy. So far as phisical education is an appropriate discipline of education, it should be also an important and inevitable inquiry for theoretical cognition of physical education as an academic discipline.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the possibility of the theoretical understanding on human beings in the academic cognition of physical education. In order to investigate this present study, W. Flitner's pedagogic theory on human beings was analyzed, and that was applied to examine the possibility of the theoretical understanding on human beings in the academic cognition of physical education.
Acoording to the frameworks, the possibility of the theoretical understanding on human beings in the academic cognition of physical education can be explained as bellow;
(1) As the framework of biological human beings, it can be explained from the points of the bio-organism and existance of the kinetic-movement subjection as humankind. In this standpoint, there was the first possibility concerned with one dimention of the human beings as somatic being in the context of physical education. (2) As the framework of cultural human beings, it can be explained from the points of accepting, communizing, and transmitting sport as culture. In this standpoint, there was the second possibility concerned with one dimention of the human beings as cultural being in sport in the context of physical education.
(3) As the framework of ideal and creative human beings, it can be explained from the points of enjoyment of sport, creating the worth of sport in his inside mentality, and creating life filled with sport activities of their own with full of pleasure. In this standpoint, there was the third possibility concerned with one dimention of human beings as mentally creative being in sport in the context of physical education.
(4) As the framework of existential human beings, it can be explained from the points of self-realization, self-expression, self-identification, self-enligtment, and so forth in their sport experience. In this standpoint, there was the fourth possibility concerned with one dimention of human beings as existential being in sport in the context of physical education. In addition to this cognition, they can promote their own life more affirmative and more abundant, and they can be more built and more cultivated in sport as worthful existential experiences. Consequently, the sport as worthful existential experiences might make them better and more abundant. In this sense, so far as the ultimate purpose of education is to build one's own human character, there is a fertile possibility of physical education through sport activities as the worthful existential experiences.
The inquiry concerned with theoretical understanding on humans being in the context of physical education is one of the most essential tasks for the academic cognition of physical education. Therefore the importance of the academic responsibility of the inquiry should be recognized, and the academic effort on it by physical education as the academic cognition should be made continually.