1st Edition

Phenomenological Approaches to Sport

Edited By Irena Martínková, Jim Parry Copyright 2012
    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    The study of sport is often thought of simply in terms of the sport sciences. This book explains how a phenomenological approach is capable of revealing the nature and meanings of sport in ways that are beyond the reach of the sciences and how the very concepts required by sport science stand in need of philosophical explanation. The book has a 'didactic' intention, seeking to present and discuss ideas and tools developed in the phenomenological tradition in order to illuminate issues in sport, in such a way as to be understandable for those without any previous knowledge or background.

    There are clear and straightforward accounts of the ideas of central thinkers, such as Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Patočka, and applications of central ideas to the analysis of particular issues, such as the nature of risk sports, the feint in football, the problem of the instant replay, the role of the sport psychologist, the idea of 'bodily perception', and the concept of 'transhumanism' in relation to performance enhancement.

    This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

    1. Introduction: Phenomenological Approaches to the Study of Sport, Irena Martínková & Jim Parry

    2.From Phenomenology to Existentialism - philosophical approaches to sport, Arno Müller

    3. Anthropos as Kinanthropos: Heidegger and Patočka on human movement, Irena Martínková

    4. Dangerous play with the elements: towards a phenomenology of risk sports, Gunnar Breivik

    5. Falling for the Feint - an existential investigation of a creative performance in high-level soccer, Kenneth Aggerholm

    6. Phenomenology and the Question of Instant Replay - a crisis of the sciences?, Seth Vannatta

    7. Merleau-Ponty and Kretchmar: sweet tensions and gestalt shifts, Oyvind Standal & Vegard Fusche Moe

    8. Phenomenology and Sports Psychology: back to the things themselves!, Mark Nesti

    9. Sartre on Human Nature: Human-ness, Transhumanism and Performance-enhancement, Leon Culbertson

    10. Feminist Phenomenology and the Woman in the Running  Body, Allen-Collinson 

    11. Phenomenology and Bodily Perception, Bryan Hogeveen

    12. Sweet Tension as Phenomenological Description: sport, intersubjectivity and horizon, Cesar Torres & Doug McLoughlin

    Biography

    Irena Martínková is Lecturer in Philosophy of Sport at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague. She is currently on the Executive Board of the European Association for the Philosophy of Sport. Her principal interests are in phenomenology, conceptions of human being and the human body, Eastern thinking, and Olympism. Recent publications have been on instrumentality, time, harmony, and kalokagathia.

    Jim Parry was Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds, England, and is now Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague. He is currently Chair of the British Philosophy of Sport Association. His principal interests are in political philosophy, sports ethics and Olympic education. Recent publications have been on peacekeeping, pain, ethos in sport, coaching ethics and the Youth Olympic Games.