Philosophy of Sport

We know that physical activity is beneficial to our health and well-being. Yet many people struggle to make this pursuit a regular part of their lives. Why? What motivates individuals to engage in exercise, recreation, and sport, and what gives these experiences meaning, pleasure, and value?

Philosophy of Sport: Meaning and Well-Being seeks to answer these questions and provide practical strategies for changing behavior. Rather than providing clients with “good reasons” to move and selling physical activity as “medicine,” the book reframes physical activity as a source of joy, an adventure, a challenge, and an opportunity. The text explores the art and science of promoting meaningful movement by helping individuals find and cultivate meaning that is so personal and compelling that it generates sustained action and lifelong participation.

Here’s what readers will find in this text:

• An overarching theme of meaningful physical activity
• Philosophy’s intersection with science, discussing the functions of science and how philosophy complements it
• An emphasis on wellness, health, and medicine, with practical how-to instructions for teaching, motivating, and changing behavior
• An expansive discussion of ethics, spanning five chapters
• Practical exercises and stories to practice philosophic thinking
• Tips for all physical activity professionals, including physical education teachers, kinesiologists, athletic trainers, fitness specialists, physical therapists, and professionals in the recreation field

Unlike many textbooks that cover both the history and philosophy of sport, this text is devoted exclusively to the philosophy of sport and physical activity. It is organized into five parts. Part I introduces fundamental questions about the nature of meaning, the challenges of creating meaningful experiences, and the methods philosophers use to examine value and meaning, contrasting these approaches with the scientific methods used to investigate and explain reality. Part II guides readers on a quest to understand two things: the nature of human beings and the nature of the activities we pursue. Introduced in this section are the three different interpretations of human nature: holism, dualism, and materialism. Part III examines the nature of the physical activity world and the different ways that world can be introduced and promoted—namely, work and play. It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of work and play to promote persistence in physical activity. In part IV, important questions about the ethics of wellness, sport, and competition are addressed—specifically, what counts as “the good life” and what counts as “good behavior.” It includes a discussion of the promotion of meaning in organized youth sports. The book concludes with part V, which offers practical strategies for expanding play opportunities and fostering lifelong engagement in physical activity. It emphasizes that, despite biological and cultural differences, humans are all very much alike.

The holy grail of kinesiology—promoting physical activity across the lifespan—will remain out of reach until we better equip students (and the individuals they will one day serve) to discover, cultivate, and sustain meaning in physical activity. Philosophy of Sport offers a road map for achieving that goal.

Audience

Undergraduate sport, kinesiology, physical activity, philosophy, ethics, and recreation and park management courses; resource for individuals whose role includes motivation, such as public school teachers, personal fitness instructors, recreation professionals, and those practicing therapeutic medicine.

Part I. Nature and Methods of a Philosophy of Meaning

Chapter 1. Philosophy of Meaning
Health and Wellness Complexities
Finding Meaning and Fighting for Meaning
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 2. Philosophic Research Methods
Evolving Truths in Physical Activity
Reasoning Approaches in Science and Philosophy
Conclusions About Scientific Methods
Compatibility of Uncertainty and Philosophy
In Defense of Philosophic Reasoning
Chapter Wrap-Up

Part II. Human Beings, Meaning, Wellness, and Physical Activity

Chapter 3. Holism and Systems Theory
Kinesiology Practices as Art and Science
Holistic Systems as Dynamic
Holism as a Philosophy of Intimacy
Holism and the Pursuit of Meaning
Tips for a Holistic Approach
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 4. Assets and Liabilities of Dualism and Materialism
Nature of Dualism
Dualism and Idealism
Materialism, Physicalism, and Scientism
Chapter Wrap-Up

Part III. Physical Activity and the Good Life

Chapter 5. Work, Play, and Meaningful Living
Variable Importance of Play and Work
The Ant Versus the Grasshopper
Physical Activity as a Mansion
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 6. Deeper Look at Physical Activity as Work and Play
Influences Favoring Exercise as Work
Influences Favoring Exercise as Play
Implications for Physical Activity Promoters
Nature and the Value of Play
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 7. Understanding Play and Growing Playgrounds
Trinity of Play
The Player
The Play Act
The Playground
Chapter Wrap-Up

Part IV. Ethics of Wellness, Sport, and Competition

Chapter 8. Introduction to Ethics
Issue of Self-Interest
Prudence and Ethical Self-Interest
Promoting Meaning Through Utilitarian Ethics
Promoting Meaning Through Kantian Ethics
Promoting Meaning Through Virtue Ethics
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 9. Ethics of Promoting Health
Domains of Health
Holism, Health, and Well-Being
Life Versus Quality of Life
Autonomy and Heteronomy
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 10. Ethics of Games and Sport
Arguments Against Sport
Arguments for Sport
Ethics of Sporting Behavior 
Sample of Current Ethical Dilemmas
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 11. Ethics of Organized Youth Sport
Understanding Children’s Nature
Defining Organized Youth Sport
Challenges of Coaching Dangerous Sports
Challenges of Coaching Talented Athletes
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 12. Ethics of Physical Activity for Education
Education and Freedom
Education and Embodiment
Chapter Wrap-Up

Part V. Strategies for Promoting Physically Active Lifestyles

Chapter 13. Human Nature and the Value of Developing Meaningful Stories
Frankl’s Logotherapy
Metheny’s Philosophy of Symbolism
Polanyi’s Architecture for Meaning
MacIntyre’s Connection of Stories and the Good Life
Promoting Meaningful Physical Activity Across the Lifespan
Chapter Wrap-Up

Chapter 14. Diverse Playgrounds for Physically Active Lifestyles
Playgrounds Are Everywhere
Human Commonalities and Human Diversity
Finding Meaningful Movement
Categories of Playgrounds
Chapter Wrap-Up
 

R. Scott Kretchmar, PhD, is a professor emeritus of exercise and sport science of Penn State University. A fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology, he is the recipient of its Hetherington Award. He is a former president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport and previously served as editor of Journal of the Philosophy of Sport. He has been named an Alliance Scholar by SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) and a Distinguished Scholar by the National Association for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education (NAKPEHE).

Cesar R. Torres, PhD, retired from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport as a distinguished professor emeritus in 2025. He has since joined the faculty at Penn State University as an associate professor. Torres, a former president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS), is a fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology and a recipient of the State University of New York’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. He has been awarded the Warren Fraleigh Distinguished Scholar Award by IAPS.

All ancillaries are free to adopting instructors through HKPropel.

Instructor guide. Includes guidelines for using student and group exercises during classroom instruction and recommended responses to the Check Your Understanding questions at the end of each chapter.

Test package. Contains more than 400 questions in true-false and multiple-choice formats. The files may be downloaded for integration with a learning management system or printed for use as paper-based tests

Chapter quizzes. Contains ready-made quizzes (10 questions each) to assess student comprehension of the most important concepts in each chapter. Each quiz may be downloaded or assigned to students directly through HKPropel. The chapter assessments are automatically graded, and instructors can review student scores in the platform.