Democracy, philosophy and sport: animating the agonistic spirit

Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 49 (2):246-262 (2022)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The three social practices – democracy, philosophy and sport – are more similar than we might initially suspect. They can be described as ‘essentially agonistic social practices’, that is, they are manifestations of ‘agon’ (contest). The possibility to participate in agonistic social practices derives from the human condition, i.e. from the necessity to care for one’s existence, which requires ongoing attention and decision-making, and which sometimes means going against others. We call this character of human existence by the ancient Greek term ‘polemos’ (struggle), which can be manifested through various types of agon. If society cherishes agonistic social practices, it enables its citizens to compete to prove themselves and achieve goals (e.g. to push through a persuasive argument, or to win in sport) in a respectful, peaceful and productive way. Believed to have played a significant role in ancient Greece, agon presents itself in both intellectual and physical forms – in philosophy, democratic politics and sport – suggesting that the relationship between these practices is deep-rooted and significant. This paper explores the idea that developing our understanding of polemos and agon can enhance our experience of agonistic social practices and enable our existence to proceed in a more free, pro-social and enriching way.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Philosophy and Sport.Anthony O'Hear (ed.) - 2013 - Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Philosophy and Sport: Volume 73.Anthony O'Hear (ed.) - 2013 - Cambridge University Press.
Open Categories in Sport: One Way to Decrease Discrimination.Irena Martínková - 2020 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 14 (4):461-477.
Stasis: Notes Toward Agonist Democracy.Dimitris Vardoulakis - 2017 - Theory and Event 20 (3):699-725.
Democracy, Education, and Sport.Peter J. Arnold - 1989 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 16 (1):100-110.
Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport.Heather Lynne Reid - 2012 - Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Agonism in divided societies.Andrew Schaap - 2006 - Philosophy and Social Criticism 32 (2):255-277.
What Is Sport? A Response to Jim Parry.Lukáš Mareš & Daniel D. Novotný - 2022 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 17 (1):34-48.

Analytics

Added to PP
2022-05-30

Downloads
12 (#929,405)

6 months
2 (#668,348)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Citations of this work

Deleuze and sport: towards a general athleticism of thought.Jonnie Eriksson & Kalle Jonasson - 2023 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 50 (2):159-174.

Add more citations

References found in this work

After Virtue.A. MacIntyre - 1981 - Tijdschrift Voor Filosofie 46 (1):169-171.
Three normative models of democracy.Jürgen Habermas - 1994 - Constellations 1 (1):1-10.
E-sports are Not Sports.Jim Parry - 2018 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 13 (1):3-18.
From on “Time and Being”.Martin Heidegger - 2005 - In Gary Gutting (ed.), Continental Philosophy of Science. Malden, MA, USA: Blackwell. pp. 141–153.

View all 11 references / Add more references