The Olympics and Philosophy

Course Description:

An inquiry into the philosophical principles and themes embodied in the ancient and modern Olympic Games and Olympic Movement. Topics and readings will vary, but may include: Olympism as philosophy; Ancient Greek conceptions of the connections between human excellence, human flourishing, and athletics; the role of nationalism, peace, and politics in the Olympics. Prerequisite(s): ENG 102, 105, or 108 with C or better; minimum 25 hours. General Studies: HU

Spring 25 Date and Location: M W 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM; Tempe COOR 195

Spring 25: Tentative Course Outline:

Week 1 Introduction: What were/are the Olympics?

Part 1: Ancient Olympics: historical and philosophical context

Week 2: Historical Context

Reading Assignments:
- Holowchak, M. Andrew, and Heather Reid, “Chapter 1: The Roots of Competitive Sport” in Aretism: An Ancient Sports Philosophy for the Modern World.
- Miller, Stephen. “Chapter 1: The Earliest Days of Greek Athletics” in
- Guttmann Allen. “Chapter 3: Greek Athletic Festivals” in Sports: The First Five Millennia

Week 3: Philosophical Context

Reading Assignment:
- Reid, Heather, “The Soul of an Olympian: Olympism and the Ancient Philosophical Ideal of Arete” in The Olympics and Philosophy

Part 2: Modern Revival: The Olympic Charter, the Olympic Movement, and Olympism

Week 4: Olympic Charter and Coubertin’s Revival

Reading assignments:
- The Olympic Charter: https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-charter
- Excerpts from Coubertin, Olympism: Selected Writings

Week 5: Olympism as Philosophy

Reading Assignment:
- Reid, Heather. “Chapter 2: The Modern Olympic Revival” in Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport.

Week 6: The ideological roots of Olympism

Reading Assignment:
- o Loland, Sigmund. “Coubertin’s Ideology of Olympism from the Perspective of the History of Ideas” in Olympika

Week 7: The value of Olympism

Reading Assignment:
- Mcfee, Graham, “The Promise of Olympism” in Watching the Olympics: Politics, Power and Representation.

Part 3: Analyzing Olympism as Philosophy

Week 8: “Not to win, but to take part”

Reading Assignments:
- Ilundain-Agurruza, Jesus, “Go Tell the Spartans: Honor, Courage and Excellence in the Ancient Olympic Games” in The Olympics and Philosophy
- Torres, Cesar, “Results or Participation?: Reconsidering Olympism’s Approach to Competition” in Quest

Week 9: “Universal Fundamental Principles”

Reading Assignments:
- McNamee, Mike, “Olympism, Eurocentricity, and Transcultural Virtues” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
- Parry, Jim. “Sport and Olympism: Universals and Multiculturalism” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Week 10: “Promote a Peaceful Society”

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather, “Olympic Sport and Its Lessons for Peace” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Part 4: Contemporary Challenges

Week 11: The Paralympics: Independence of Integration?

Reading Assignments:
- Wolbring, Gregor. “Paralympians Outperforming Olympians: An Increasing Challenge for Olympism and the Paralympic and Olympic Movement.” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
- Bellieni, Carlo. “Paralympics Should be Integrated into Main Olympic Games” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Week 12: Competition: nations or individuals?

Reading Assignments:
- Gleaves, John and Matthew Llewellyn, “Ethics, Nationalism, and the Imagined Community: The Case Against Inter-National Sport” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
- Iorwerth, Hywel and Alun Hardman, “The Case for Inter-National Sport: A Reply to Gleaves And Llewellyn” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Weeks 13-14: Olympics and Politics

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather. “The Political Heritage of The Olympic Games: Relevance, Risks, And Possible Rewards” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
- Taliaferro, Charles and Michel Le Gall, “The Ethics of Boycotting the Olympics” in The Olympics and Philosophy
- Kyle Fruh, Alfred Archer & Jake Wojtowicz, “Sportswashing: Complicity and Corruption,” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Week 15: The future of the Olympics (and what philosophy can do for it)

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather. “Why Olympia matters for modern sport” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Past Versions:

Spring 24: Tentative Weekly Reading and Unit Schedule
(dates and specific reading assignments may change)

Week 1 Introduction: What were/are the Olympics?

Week 2: What counts as Olympic sport?

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather, “Defining Olympic Sport” in Defining Sport

Weeks 3-5: The Olympic Charter, Olympic Movement, and Olympism

Reading assignments:
- The Olympic Charter: https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-charter
- Excerpts from Coubertin, Olympism: Selected Writings
- Reid, Heather, “The Soul of an Olympian: Olympism and the Ancient Philosophical Ideal of Arete” in The Olympics and Philosophy
- Reid, Heather, “Sport, Philosophy, and the Quest for Knowledge” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Week 6: The value of the Olympics

Reading Assignments:
- Mcfee, Graham, “The Promise of Olympism” in Watching the Olympics: Politics, Power and Representation.
- Martınkova, Irena, “Fair or Temple: Two Possibilities for Olympic Sport” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Analyzing Olympism

Week 7: “Not to win, but to take part”

Reading Assignments:
- Ilundain-Agurruza, Jesus, “Go Tell the Spartans: Honor, Courage and Excellence in the Ancient Olympic Games” in The Olympics and Philosophy
- Torres, Cesar, “Results or Participation?: Reconsidering Olympism’s Approach to Competition” in Quest

Week 8: “Universal Fundamental Principles”

Reading Assignments:
- McNamee, Mike, “Olympism, Eurocentricity, and Transcultural Virtues” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
- Parry, Jim. “Sport and Olympism: Universals and Multiculturalism” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Week 9: “A way of life”

Reading assignments
- Loland, Sigmund, “A Well Balanced Life Based on ‘The Joy of Effort’: Olympic Hype or a Meaningful Ideal?, in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
- Reid, Heather, “Athletes as heroes and role models: an ancient model” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Week 10: “Promote a Peaceful Society”

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather, “Olympic Sport and Its Lessons for Peace” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
- Masumuto, Naofumi, “The Peace Movement on The Occasion of the 21st Century Olympic Games: Developments And Limitations” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Contemporary Challenges

Week 11: Competition: nations or individuals?

Reading Assignments:
- Gleaves, John and Matthew Llewellyn, “Ethics, Nationalism, and the Imagined Community: The Case Against Inter-National Sport” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.
- Iorwerth, Hywel and Alun Hardman, “The Case for Inter-National Sport: A Reply to Gleaves And Llewellyn” in Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.

Week 12: The “Other” Olympics

Reading Assignments:
- Parry, Jim. “The Youth Olympic Games – Some Ethical Issues” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
- Bellieni, Carlo. “Paralympics Should be Integrated into Main Olympic Games” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Weeks 13-14: Olympics and Politics

Reading Assignments:
- Reid, Heather. “The Political Heritage of The Olympic Games: Relevance, Risks, And Possible Rewards” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
- Taliaferro, Charles and Michel Le Gall, “The Ethics of Boycotting the Olympics” in The Olympics and Philosophy
- Kyle Fruh, Alfred Archer & Jake Wojtowicz, “Sportswashing: Complicity and Corruption,” in Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

Week 15: The future of the Olympics (and what philosophy can do for it)