Soccer and Philosophy: Beautiful Thoughts on the Beautiful Game (Popular Culture and Philosophy)
Soccer and Philosophy: Beautiful Thoughts on the Beautiful Game (Popular Culture and Philosophy)
This collection of incisive articles gives a leading team of international philosophers a free kick toward exploring the complex and often hidden contours of the world of soccer. What does it really mean to be a fan (and why should we count Aristotle as one)? Why do great players such as Cristiano Ronaldo count as great artists (up there alongside Picasso, one author argues)? From the ethics of refereeing to the metaphysics of bent (like Beckham) space-time, this book shows soccer fans and philosophy buffs alike new ways to appreciate and understand the world’s favorite sport.
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Wonderful, Whimsical and Cogent,
First, ignore the comments on the back cover. They are banal clichés (See Chapter 3: The Boy Done Good? Football’s Clichés). I doubt the comments were written by people who actually finished the book.
Second, although this is a book about soccer, the analysis and conclusions may be applied to all sports. (See Chapter 8: What’s Luck Got to do with it?).
Third, think about how sports overlap with life and demand the attendance of prominent politicians – to toss the first ball, etc. (See Chapter 24: When a Soccer Club Becomes a Mirror).
Fourth, think about how the officials on the field, in the ring or on the court influence the outcome of the game. (See Chapter 28: The Loneliness of the Referee).
Fifth, Consider whether prayer before, during or after the game influences its outcome. (Chapter 29: God is not a Referee)
This enumeration of thoughts about soccer could to go on without end, just like a 0 to 0 soccer game, requiring a shoot out (see Chapter 27: It’s a Lottery!: Penalties and the Meaning of Winning). Oh, did I tell you about the wonderful creative writing in Chapter 26: Kierkegaard at the Penalty Spot?
This is a wonderful, whimsical and cogent book for soccer fans and soccer players, particularly those who enjoyed their philosophy courses in college. The book has multiple authors with uneven writing, but the good writers more than make up for the others.
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|Deserves a dual location on philosophy and sports shelves,
Soccer and Philosophy provides an unusual pairing: soccer notes by philosophers – and offers insights on ethics, metaphysics, and issues of beauty and form in the soccer environment. By blending philosophical principles and inquiry with soccer specifics, this will reach an audience not ordinarily attracted to philosophy books, and deserves a dual location on philosophy and sports shelves alike.
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|What a great collection!,
What a great book! A collection of different philosophical treatments of the beautiful game from the sublime to the humorous. And just in time for the World Cup too!
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