ASU: Sports Ethics and Philosophy of Sport

The ASU Schedule of Classes for Summer and Fall is now available. I am teaching two sport philosophy related classes.

Fall C Session: PHI 394: Sports Ethics

MWF 1150 AM – 1240 PM TEMPE BAC-201

Course Description:

A study of moral issues in sports, including but not limited to the nature and application of sportsmanship, the prohibition of performance enhancing drugs, ethical issues in the economics of sports, the role of violence, and fandom.

Tentative Reading List

Unit: Philosophy and Sport: What is ‘sport’ and why study it?

• Heather Reid, “Socrates at the Ballpark” Baseball and Philosophy. Edited by Eric Bronson. Open Court: Chicago, 2004, pp 273-283.

Unit: Sport and Society: What is the social impact of sport?

• Jonathan Eig, “Some Good Colored Players” Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season. Simon and Schuster: New York, 2007, pp 26-34.
• Jane Leavy, “The King of the Jews,” Sandy Koufax. Perennial: New York, 2002, pp 167- 174, 193-4.
• The 16^th Man, Dir. Clifford Bestall. ESPN 30 for 30, 2010. Film.

Unit: What is sportsmanship?

• James Keating, “Sportsmanship as a Moral Category,” Ethics 75, No 1, 1964, pp 25-35.
• Randolph Feezell, “Sportsmanship,” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, Vol 13, 1986, pp 1-13.

Unit: Is it ethical to run up the score?

• Nicholas Dixon, “On Sportsmanship and ‘Running Up the Score”; Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, Vol 19, 1992, pp 1-13.
• Randolph Feezell, “Sportmanship and Blowouts: Baseball and Beyond” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, Vol 26, 1999, pp 68-78.

Unit: Is it wrong to foul?

• Fraleigh, Warren. “Intentional rules violations — One more time,” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 30, No, 2, 2003, pp 166-176.
• Simon, Robert. The ethics of strategic fouling: A reply to Fraleigh,” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 32, No. 1, 2005, pp 87-95.

Unit: Is competition moral?

• Kretchmar, R. Scott. “In Defense of Winning,” Sports Ethics: An Anthology. Ed. By Jan Boxill. Blackwell Publishing, 2003. pp130-135.
• Simon, Robert. “The Critique of Competition in Sports,” Fair Play: The Ethics of Sport. 2nd Edition. Westview Press: 2004. Pp 19-35.
• Kohn, Alfie. “Fun and Fitness w/o Competition,” Women’s Sport & Fitness, July/August 1990.

Unit: Violence in Sport: Can fighting or football be justified?

• Dixon, Nicholas. “A Critique of Violent Retaliation in Sport,” Journal of Philosophy of Sport, Vol 37, No. 1, 2010, pp 1-10.
• Zakhem, Abe. “The Virtues of a Good Fight: Assessing the Ethics of Fighting in the National Hockey League,” Sports, Ethics and Philosophy, 9, No. 1, 2015, pp 32-46.
• Russell, J.S. “The Value of Dangerous Sport,” Journal of Philosophy of Sport, 32, No. 1, 2005, pp 1-19.
• Findler, Patrick, “Should kids play (American) football? Journal of Philosophy of Sport, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2015, pp 443-462.
• Pam Sailors, “”Personal Foul: an evaluation of moral status of football,” Journal of Philosophy of Sport, 42, No. 2, 2015, pp 269-286.

Unit: Should performance-enhancing drugs be banned?

• Savulescu, Julian, Roger Crisp, and John Devine, “Oxford Debate: Performance enhancing drugs should be allowed in sport” University of Oxford, 2014.
• Simon, Robert ” “Good competition and drug-enhanced performance,” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 11, 1984, pp 6-13.
• Hemphill, “Performance enhancement and drug control in sport: ethical considerations,” Sport in Society, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2009, pp 313-326.

Unit: How should we balance fairness versus opportunity?

• English, Jane. “Sex Equality in Sports” Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol 7, No 3, 1978, pp 269-277
• Sailors, Pam. “Mixed Competition and Mixed Messages.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2014, pp 65–77.
• Edwards, S.D. “Should Oscar Pistorius be excluded from the 2008 Olympic Games,” Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 2, No. 2: 112-125.
• Burkett, Brendan; Mike McNamee & Wolfgang Potthast. “Shifting boundaries in sports technology and disability: equal rights or unfair advantage in the case of Oscar Pistorius?” Disability & Society 26, No. 5, 2011, pp 643-654.

Unit: What is the role of money in sport?

• Duncan, Albert. “Does A-Rod Deserve So Much Money? Yes” Baseball and Philosophy. Ed. by Eric Bronson. Open Court: Chicago, 2004. pp 297-299.
• Shuman, Joel. “Does A-Rod Deserve So Much Money? No,” Baseball and Philosophy. Ed. by Eric Bronson. Open Court: Chicago, 2004. pp 300-302.
• Collins-Cavanaugh, Daniel. “Does the Salary Cap Make the NFL a Fairer League?” Football and Philosophy. Ed. Michael Austin. The University Press of Kentucky, 2008. pp 165-180.
• Sheehan, Joe. “Salary Cap,” Baseball Prospectus. Feb. 19, 2002.

Unit: Is being a fan moral?

• Dixon, Nicholas. “The Ethics of Supporting Sports Teams,” Journal of Applied Philosophy, 18, No. 2, 2001, pp 149-158.
• Mumford, Stephen, “The Philosophy of Sports Fans,” PhilosophyFile, The University of Nottingham, 2011, video.
• Aikin, Scott F., “Responsible Sports Spectatorship and the Problem of Fantasy Leagues” International Journal of Applied Philosophy 27, No. 2, 2013, pp 195-206.

Summer Session A Online: PHI 394 Philosophy of Sport

Course Description:

An inquiry into philosophical issues in sport. Topics and readings will vary, but may include: the nature and definition of sport, the mind-body relationship in sport, epistemological issues in sport technology and officiating, and the aesthetics of sport. Since “Sports Ethics” examines ethical issues in sport, this course will not primarily deal with ethical issues.

Here’s the tentative reading list:

Reid, Heather. An Introduction to Philosophy of Sport. Rowan & Littlefield (2012)

Definition of Sport

• Bernard Suits, “The Elements of Sport” in Osterhoudt, Robert G. The Philosophy of Sport: a Collection of Original Essays. Springfield, Ill., Thomas, 1973
• Loy, John. “The Nature of Sport: A Definitional Effort”, Quest, 01 May 1968, Vol.10(1), p.1-15
• McBride, Frank. “Toward A Non Definition Of Sport.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 2, 1975, pp. 4–11.
• Schieman, Kevin. “Hopscotch Dreams: Coming to Terms with the Cultural Significance of Sport,” in Defining Sport: Conceptions and Borderlines. Ed. Shawn E. Klein. Lanham, Lexington Books, 2016.

Sport and Play

• Suits, Bernard. “Words On Play.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 4, 1977, pp. 117–131.
• Roochnik, David. “PLAY AND SPORT.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 2, 1975, p. 36.

Sport and Games

• Suits, Bernard. “Tricky Triad: Games, Play, and Sport.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 15, 1988, p. 1.
• Meier, Klaus V. “Triad Trickery: Playing With Sport and Games.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 15, no. 1, 1988, pp. 11–30.

Sport and Art

• Cordner, Christopher. “Differences Between Sport and Art.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 15, no. 1, 1988, pp. 31–47.
• Kaelin, E. F. “The Well-Played Game: Notes Toward an Aesthetics of Sport.” Quest , vol. 10, no. 1, 1968, pp. 16–29.

Mind and Body

• Wertz, S. K. “The Knowing In Playing.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 5, no. 1, 1978, pp. 39–49.
• Breivik, Gunnar. “Zombie-Like Or Superconscious? A Phenomenological And Conceptual Analysis Of Consciousness In Elite Sport.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 2012, pp. 1–22.

Officiating and Rules

• Russell, Js. “Are Rules All an Umpire Has to Work with?” Journal of The Philosophy Of Sport, vol. 26, 1999, pp. 27–49.
• Dixon, Nicholas. “Canadian Figure Skaters, French Judges, and Realism in Sport.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 30, no. 2, 2003, pp. 103–116.
• Collins, Harry. “The Philosophy of Umpiring and the Introduction of Decision-Aid Technology.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 37, no. 2, 2010, pp. 135–146.
• Mcfee, Graham. “Fairness, Epistemology, and Rules: A Prolegomenon to a Philosophy of Officiating?” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 38, no. 2, 2011, pp. 229–253.