Knowing the score : what sports can teach us about philosophy (and what philosophy can teach us about sports) / David Papineau.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Papineau, David, 1947- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sports--Philosophy.

Sports.

Philosophy.

Physical Description:

viii, 285 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Other Title:

What sports can teach us about philosophy (and what philosophy can teach us about sports)

Place of Publication:

New York : Basic Books, [2017]

Summary:

"Beginning with various sporting questions and challenges, Papineau digs into modern philosophy's most perplexing questions. For instance, he discusses drafting techniques in cycling to shed new light on questions of altruism, and examines cricket family "dynasties" to help broaden the debate over nature v. nurture. When Papineau began writing this book, he thought he could illuminate sports by viewing it through a philosophical lens. But the more he wrote, the more he realized that it was the other way around - the study of sports clarifies, challenges, and sometimes confuses crucial issues in philosophy. Why do sports competitors choke? How can Roger Federer select which shot to play in 400 milliseconds? Why do fans think God will favor their team over their rivals? Why does motor racing, but not football, run in families? How can it be moral to deceive the umpire by framing a pitch? From all of these questions, and many more, philosophy has a great deal to learn."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part I Focus

Chapter 1 Having Your Mind Right 9

Chapter 2 In the Blink of an Eye 21

Chapter 3 Choking and the Yips 35

Part II Rules

Chapter 4 Professional Fouls and Political Obligation 53

Chapter 5 Morality, Convention, and Soccer Fakery 63

Chapter 6 Cads of the Most Unscrupulous Kidney 75

Part III Teams

Chapter 7 The Logic of Fandom 93

Chapter 8 Sporting Teams, Spacetime Worms, and Israeli Soccer 103

Chapter 9 Mutualism and the Art of Road Cycle Racing 115

Chapter 10 Game Theory and Team Reasoning 131

Part IV Tribes

Chapter 11 Civil Society and Sporting Eligibility 147

Chapter 12 Sporting Nations and Political Geography 161

Chapter 13 Race, Ethnicity, and joining the Club 175

Chapter 14 Nature, Nurture, and Sporting Families 187

Part V Values

Chapter 15 Amateur Values and Ulterior Motives 201

Chapter 16 The Coase Theorem and Sporting Capitaism 211

Chapter 17 History, Tradition, and the Meaning of Football 221

Chapter 18 Shankly, Chomsky, and the Nature of Sport 233.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-270) and index.

ISBN:

9780465049684

0465049680

OCLC:

958798503