A Philosopher Looks at Sport

by Stephen Mumford

Why is sport so important among participants and spectators when its goals seem so pointless? Stephen Mumford's book introduces the reader to a host of philosophical topics found in sport, and argues that sports activities reflect diverse human experiences - including important values that we continue to contest. The author explores physicality, competition, how sport is best defined, ethics in sport, and issues of inclusion such as disability sports, the gender divide, and transgender athletes. His book is written for anyone who is thoughtful, a sports enthusiast, or both, and will deepen our understanding of sport and its place in our lives. This new series offers short and personal perspectives by expert thinkers on topics that we all encounter in our everyday lives.

Genres: Philosophy

150 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2021

Reviews

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mumford provides a clear, plausible, and expansive overview of sport, particularly impressive given the length of the book. By expansive I mean Mumford hits all the topics you'd expect to be in this kind of book, and in good detail. His reasoning is concise and compelling, I had my views changed on a few topics, and I have a few more that weren't changed but which now sit on slightly less firm ground. Probably more importantly that all of this, given the context of the book, it was a fun read. This is probably, in part, because the book doesn't shy away from being academic (unsurprisingly), but also doesn't get bogged down in it. For instance, the book engages with and gives expositions of key literature, providing context, without making assumptions on the reader having read it. Absolutely readable for someone who is not a philosopher, though you probably will need to be at least a bit interested in sport at some level.