KIN 240

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KIN 240 Introduction to Kinesiology

• Philosophy of Physical Activity

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Introduction to Philosophic Thinking

• Requires reflecting more than testing, measuring
  or examining things with our senses
• Philosophic methods typically do not include
  gathering of data from controlled experiments
  various types of reflections are used instead
• Philosophic reflection can produce results that
  are as valid and reliable as anything discovered
  by the physical sciences
• Philosophy involves persuasion and plausibility
  more than proof-like validity and reliability
• Philosophy takes intangibles seriously
• Includes things like moods, emotions, ideals and
  values, and daily experiences

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Philosophy of Physical Activity

• Physical activity philosophers generally reflect
  on 3 kinds of issues
• The nature of physical activities
• Includes What is questions
• What is the nature of sport? What is the
  difference between dance and sport?
• Knowledge and physical activity
• Includes How do we know questions about the
  theory of knowledge
• Is it possible to get an objective view of sport
  or are your reflections always biased or
  otherwise skewed?
• Values connected with physical activities
• Includes Should questions about the worth of
  things, experiences or possessions
• What is the best way to rank professional values?
  Where should one draw the line between strategy
  and dirty tricks?

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Research Methods

• Philosophy is done just by asking questions,
  arguing, trying out ideas and thinking of
  possible arguments against them and wondering how
  our concepts really work Nagel (1987)
• Philosophers reflect on experiences using logic,
  by appealing to common sense and by deploying
  their conclusions in the everyday world to see
  how well they work
• Reflective reasoning processes are central to
  philosophical research
• Inductive reasoning
• Deductive reasoning
• Descriptive reasoning
• Speculative reasoning

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Reflective reasoning

• Inductive reasoning
• Moves from the examination of a limited number of
  specific examples to broad, general principles or
  conclusions
• Small picture to big picture approach
• What is the nature of exercise?
• Deductive reasoning
• Starts with one or more broad premises to
  identify conclusions that follow from them
• Big picture to small picture approach
• Requires development of major and minor premises
  to arrive at a conclusion
• Is poker a sport?

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Reflective reasoning

• Descriptive reasoning
• Involves looking at an example of an event and
  describing its essential qualities
• Are variations to known/established games still
  the same game?
• Descriptive reasoning allows one to identify
  negative answers to that question that focus on
  items central to the game
• Speculative reasoning
• Uses inductive, deductive and descriptive
  reasoning to make claims that cannot be easily or
  clearly justified
• Speculation can be used for good or ill will
• Speculation can inspire and affect people for the
  good (many religious/spiritual traditions
  believed despite lack of proof)
• Speculation can be prejudicial and promote
  propaganda (is there a race that is inherently
  superior to others?)

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Knowledge in Philosophy of Physical Activity

• Overview of knowledge in the philosophy of
  physical activity allows us to examine at least a
  few examples of insights produced in the
  sub-discipline
• The nature of the person specifically the
  mind-body relationship
• The nature of sport and its relationship to work
  and play
• The values promoted by physical activity
• Ethical values and sport

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Person Problem

• Notion that understanding human movement begins
  with examining who it is that moves before
  examining the nature and value of movement
• We must understand the person before we can
  understand how and why people are attracted to
  physical activities
• How to understand mind and body
• Materialism person appears to be an impressive
  material object nothing more and nothing less,
  person made up only of atoms all that exists
  are atoms and void, consciousness is a sideshow
  where ideas and values are product of brain
  states
• Dualism doubts that human behavior can be
  accounted for by looking only for material
  causes, view that humans have bodys like
  machines but are also endowed with minds
  (consciousness with steady stream of emotions and
  ideas)
• Holism argues that physical nature
  (anatomy/genes) is shaped and influenced by
  emotions and ideas, no independence to physical
  nor thoughtful side of human nature

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Relationship of Sport Competition to Play and
Duty

• Games and sport games are created by set of
  rules that specify a goal to be achieved and
  limit the means that participants can use to
  reach the goal where the rules exist for the sole
  purpose of creating the game
• Significance of rules formal types of game cues
  that tell us what should be accomplished and how
  we should accomplish it
• Rules changes enacted to recalibrate elements
  that have become too difficult or too easy
• Significance of skills attainment of goals
  requires variety of motor skills which
  differentiate one game or sport from another and
  represent standards of excellence by which
  performance is evaluated
• Significance of competition requires to parties
  that share the same test and committed to
  surpassing the performance of the other
• At one level, determines winners vs. losers and
  on another level highlights the value of
  performance and cherishes the process as much as
  the outcome

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Relationship of Sport Competition to Play and
Duty

• Play and duty in sport
• Duty-like sport
• Physical activity viewed as valuable due to
  ability to advance in concrete desirable ways
  (e.g. - health benefits)
• When approached this way, physical activity
  regarded more as chores/duties which diminish
  their intrinsic worth do it because its good
  for you value may be appreciated only by
  results/productions as opposed to what they allow
  us to be and experience
• Play-like sport
• Play is the manner in which we approach, embrace
  and experience physical activity
• While at play, were not interested in payoffs
  that might come from participation but rather in
  the intrinsic values and ends of the activity
• Viewed as something we want and like to do can
  be viewed as an escape from trappings of life
  experiences

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Values Connected to Physical Activity

• Values are our conceptions about the importance
  of things
• We all use values to make decisions in our
  personal and professional matters
• Values may be moral or non-moral
• Moral values refer to ones character and how we
  ought to behave while non-moreal values refer to
  objects of desire such as happiness or good
  health
• Values promoted by physical activity
• Health-related physical fitness provides
  direction for those most interested in health and
  appearance
• Knowledge about human body, physical activity and
  health practices important for those who
  believe information is precursor to improved
  behavior
• Motor skill important for those who like to
  move well and enjoy proficiency
• Activity-related pleasure or fun resonates with
  peoples conceptions of good life

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Ethical Values and Sport

• Ethics help in determining right vs. wrong
• In sport, the means formulating defensible
  standards of behavior
• Basic behavioral guidelines
• Follow the rules because they are the foundation
  of the artificial problem you find special
  avoid cheating which alters and can destroy the
  sport and legitimacy of results
• Respect opponents as someone who not only
  facilitates the contest but also makes possible
  the creation of athletic excellence opponent is
  partner in community of contestants who shares
  your interests and passion
• Strive to bring out best performance in one
  another honors each persons motor skills and
  sports standards of excellence
• Recognize and celebrate athletic excellence
  your and your opponents
• Seek opponents who are close to you in ability
• Care about opponents well-being as much as your
  own
• Remember that how you play says as much about you
  as an athlete as the scoreboard does