simon Flashcards
what sig event does simon talk about
1999 WC, US won when goalkeeper stepped forward early and wasn’t called by ref
are sports fair if we bend the rules? are you fair, or unstrategic by not cheating in response?
theories of sport
help us define was a sport is
serves 3 purposes:
1. characterize sport so it differs from other activities
2. explain value of sport for moral evaluation
3. explain what makes sport interesting to ppl around the globe
externalism
says sport DOES NOT provide ethical values or principles
sport reflects values already present in society
- i.e. capitalism leads to competition in sport
values in sport come from outside sport
internalism
sports have their OWN set of ethical principles and values, aren’t just reflections of society
sports can show values that conflict w society
if internalism is correct, then we can learn morals from sport
formalism
defines games according to their constitutive rules…focuses on formal structure of games and sports
games can be defined by these rules, which determines goals and means
gray areas i.e. is it against the rules to lend opponent equipment?
- formalism can’t help us
ignores how some social conventions are accepted despite not being in the rules
- not in rules, but not against them
incompatibility thesis
of formalism
cheaters aren’t playing by the rules so they cannot win
conventionalism
social conventions can give ethical guidance in sport i.e. purposeful fouls are understood as part of the game
values of the sport are in the ethos of the game
implicit conventions help us make right decision
conventions aren’t necessarily ethical even tho they’re accepted
broad internalism
in addition to rules, there are deep moral principles that shape sport…these principles should be used to resolve ethical dilemmas in sport
helps us when formalism cannot, bcs the action occurs w/o formal rules
ethical dilemmas are part of the game, just not rules
i.e. should allow to borrow equipment bcs of the competitive nature of the game
believes consensus can be made across cultures and contexts
justificatory realism
if a theory of sport has been critiqued, it can be considered justified bcs the theory’s validity is based on evidence
deep conventionalism
conventions have moral force, represent deeper social and ethical ideas that shape sport
evolve over time in response to social context
allows critique and reform of conventions
sporting practices can be understood thru HISTORICAL CONTEXT, vary across cultures
competition vs winning
competition is central to many sports, but isn’t primary goal to everyone
can engage in sport for reasons other than winning, don’t have to defeat opponent
arguments against competition
focusing on competition promotes selfishness and dec sportsmanship
overshadows the value of the process
can lead to cheating
utilitarianism
an action is morally justified if it results in the best overall consequences for everyone affected
issues i.e. one person miserable but others are happy
correlation vs causation of sports participation
- did sports cause good character, or do the only ppl who stay in sport have good character
zero sum nature
success of someone comes at the expense of others
critique of competition, since it prioritizes individual expense w/o regard for others
war of all against all
every many for themselves, lack of respect in competition
however, cooperation is key to team success
mutualism
competition is about self-discovery and testing oneself, pushing even when failing
rather than zero-sum, there’s a MUTUAL quest for excellence
- participants cooperate in pushing e/o limits
- intrinsic value of challenge
critiques of mutualism
self improvement in competitive sports cannot easily be separated from comparison to ohers
even in quest for excellence, involves perf of others
mutualism doesn’t dismiss goal of winning, imp of achievement in sport
- winning demonstrates ability to meet challenges
does mutualism undervalue winning?
zero sum nature may be key to intensity of game…tension, hope for redemption
can argue tension is achieved by recognizing the value of winning and facing challenges
losers can win through facing competition
