Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 38 (2):149-166 (2011)
Authors | |
Abstract |
In the Philosophy of Sport literature, play has been widely conceived, in whole or part, as an autotelic activity; that is, an activity pursued for intrinsic factors. I examine several versions of the conception of play as an autotelic activity. Given these different accounts, I raise the question whether the concept of autotelic play is tenable. I examine three possibilities: (i) accept the concept of autotelic play and reject the possibility of satisfying the conditions for play activities; (ii) accept the concept and acknowledge that play refers to a range of activities ranging from the purely autotelic to something less; and, (iii) reject the definition of play as an autotelic activity and redefine play. I argue that the third option is the best avenue for constructing a viable account of play. In defending this third option, I argue that play activities are value laden, that the value of play is an empirical matter, and that the effect of motivating reasons on behavior is the basis for determining which motivating reasons count as intrinsic or extrinsic. I conclude that the weight of the arguments suggest we would be well-served to redefine and move beyond the notion of autotelic play
|
Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
DOI | 10.1080/00948705.2011.10510418 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
Intention, Plans, and Practical Reason.Michael Bratman - 1987 - Cambridge: Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Springs of Action: Understanding Intentional Behavior.Alfred R. Mele - 1992 - Oxford University Press.
Triad Trickery: Playing With Sport and Games.Klaus V. Meier - 1988 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 15 (1):11-30.
Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior.Edward L. Deci & Richard M. Ryan - 1985 - Springer.
View all 8 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
‘Playing Sport Playfully’: On the Playful Attitude in Sport.Emily Ryall & Lukáš Mareš - 2021 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 48 (2):293-306.
What Are We Doing When We Are Training?Paul Faulkner - 2019 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 13 (3-4):348-362.
On the Philosophical Definition of Human Play Using the Tools of Qualitative Content Analysis.Felix Lebed - 2021 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 15 (1):103-121.
On the Philosophical Definition of Human Play Using the Tools of Qualitative Content Analysis.Felix Lebed - 2019 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 15 (1):1-19.
Challenging Fitness Ideology: Why an Adventurous Approach to Physical Activity is Better for Well-Being.Moira Howes - 2016 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 10 (2):132-147.
View all 11 citations / Add more citations
Similar books and articles
Reconsidering Autotelic Play.Stephen E. Schmid - 2009 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 36 (2):238-257.
On the Autotelic Character of Politics.Guido Parietti - 2012 - European Journal of Political Theory 11 (1):1474885111417779.
A Pluralist Conception of Play.Randolph Feezell - 2010 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 37 (2):147-165.
The Ontogeny and Phylogeny of Children’s Object and Fantasy Play.A. D. Pellegrini & David F. Bjorklund - 2004 - Human Nature 15 (1):23-43.
Every Play a Play Within a Play'.John Stratton Hawley - 1995 - In William Sturman Sax (ed.), The Gods at Play: Līlā in South Asia. Oxford University Press.
Play, Performance, and the Docile Athlete.Leslie A. Howe - 2007 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 1 (1):47 – 57.
Exploring the Depths of Play: Re-Calibrating Metaphysical Descriptions and Re-Conceptualizing Sources of Value.Chad Carlson - 2013 - Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 7 (3):342 - 355.
Child's Play: A Multidisciplinary Perspective.Maxine Sheets-Johnstone - 2003 - Human Studies 26 (4):409-430.
Explaining Impaired Play in Autism.Somogy Varga - 2010 - Journal für Philosophie Und Psychiatrie 3 (1):1-13.
Does Play Matter? Functional and Evolutionary Aspects of Animal and Human Play.Peter K. Smith - 1982 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 5 (1):139-155.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2013-11-24
Total views
26 ( #441,476 of 2,519,809 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
1 ( #406,314 of 2,519,809 )
2013-11-24
Total views
26 ( #441,476 of 2,519,809 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
1 ( #406,314 of 2,519,809 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads