Philosophy of Sport

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Phil. 98 is an introduction to the discipline of philosophy by way of questions that arise in the context of sports. That is, we will work our way towards philosophical issues by working through more practical debates that arise in the context of sports. E.g., What is a sport? What is the relationship between a sport and its rules? What is cheating, and what (if anything!) is wrong with it anyhow? Is gaming the rules ("gamesmanship") wrong? Is it unsporting? What is sporting conduct ("sporstmanship") anyhow? Should varsity athletics at the collegiate level be segregated by sex? If so, how do we implement sex testing? Is it even possible to sort human beings into two classes, male and female? What (if anything!) is wrong with performance-enhacing drugs and technologies? What (if anything!) is the difference between using steroids and using high-tech training and nutritional techniques? Are big-time college athletes exploited? If so, by whom? Phil. 98 enrolls between 50 and 65 students. It is not intended exclusively for student-athletes, but it is hoped that it will be of special interest to athletes. The scheduling of the course is designed to accommodate athletes as best as is possible. Apart from the scheduling and the topical focus, Phil. 98 is in every other respect a regular introduction to the discipline of Philosophy. Phil. 98 has a teaching assistant who is a doctoral student in the Philosophy Department's PhD program. After taking Phil. 98, students may complete their Main Campus Core Requirements in Philosophy by taking Phil. 010, 020, 099 (SFS only), or any Philosophy course numbered 100–199. In other words, Phil. 98 counts as either Ethics or General Philosophy ("Non-Ethics") for the purposes of the Core Requirements.