Section I
Ancient Civilizations
Mechikoff, R.A., A History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education,
Sixth Edition © 2014, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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Chapter 1

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 Historians examine how civilizations and institutions (e.g., sport) change over time
 identify people and events in this change
 History documents what happened and then asks “why?”
 “What”—usually through artifacts, documents, photos, etc.
 “Why”—more difficult
 Theories come into play here (modernization, etc.)

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Why Study (Sport)
History?
1. Provides context and perspective
Studying past civilizations helps explain what various cultures considered important
 “Whoever would know the heart and mind of
America had better learn baseball.” 1
2. Predictive
 History tends to be cyclical
 “Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat its mistakes.” 2

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7 HOW HAVE SPORTS EVOLVED FROM THEN TO KNOW?
Class Discussion

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 Descriptive: Tells what happened in past. Strives for objectivity.
 Generally concerned with “who, what, when, where”
 Also known as chronological or narrative
 Interpretive:
 Attempts to explain the how and the why of what happened. The difference between descriptive and interpretive introduces the
narrative’s perspectives.

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History: Sources
 Two types: primary and secondary
 Primary
 First-hand account
 Newspaper and other artifact sources
 pottery, statues, poems, etc.
Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey
 Example: an autobiography or written account by an Olympic athlete at the Athens
Games

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 Secondary: Telling the story from other sources
 Producer was not there
 Includes books and articles which can use both primary and secondary sources
 Which source type is better?
 Depends on the quality of the source
 Example: Recent movie
“300”
 Largely inaccurate remaking of Battle of
Thermopylae

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Interpretive
Perspective
Four Perspectives:
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Modernization:
An organization scheme to explain the change from premodern/traditional to modern.
2. Urbanization and
Industrialization: change that looks at where people live
Telegraph Meet for Women
3.
Metaphysics:
The area that study the question of the nature of reality ( the body/mind)

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 An interpretive model that seeks to explain “change over time”
 Divides culture into premodern (traditional) and modern
 Cultures tend to move from premodern to modern characteristics

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 Cyclic time: past, present, and future are same
 Ritual flows through the entire experience of culture, explaining the meaning of life
 No boundaries between secular and religious life
 No boundaries between work and leisure
 Prevailing attitude is one of acceptance or resignation
 Repetition is encouraged

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 Technological
 Linear time: minutes are mortal
 Belief that we are rational
 Separation between church and state
 Boundaries between work and leisure
 Desire for change and the belief that it can be achieved through the application of rational analysis

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Premodern
 Organization
 Nonexistent or informal
 Arranged directly or indirectly
 Rules
 simple, unwritten
 based on local customs/traditions
Modern
 Organization
 Formal
 Differentiated at local, regional, national levels
 Rules
 formal, standard, written
 rational and overseen by organization

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Premodern
 Competition
 locally meaningful
 Roles
 loose distinction among players/spectators
Modern
 Competition
 national and international
 Roles—specialists
 distinction between players/spectators

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Premodern
 Public information
 limited, local, oral
 Stats/records
 nonexistent, perhaps anecdotal
Modern
 Public information
 Regular: in local and national mediums
 Stats/records
 kept regularly
 important measures of achievement

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 Areas of Study
 Epistemology
 Metaphysics
 Axiology
TYPES OF PHILOSOPHIES
Monist
Pragmatism
Existentialism
Phenomenology

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Philosophy
 Derived from the Greek word philosophia

 “love of wisdom”
Definition of philosophy: can be defined as the systematic investigation of reality, knowledge, and values
 Areas of Study
 Epistemology: study of the nature of knowledge
 Metaphysics: study of the nature of reality
 Ontology: the study of the nature of being
 Cosmology: the study of the nature of the universe
 Theology: the study of the nature of God
 Axiology: study of the nature of value
 Ethics: the study of the nature of good
 Aesthetics: the study of the nature of beauty
 Politics: the study of the nature of the common good

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 Metaphysics— ultimate nature of reality
 distinguishes between the real and the unreal
 Metaphysics
Ontology matter idea body mind
 Ontology- branch of metaphysics; deals with reality related to humans and
“being”
 Does being involve only mind, or mind and body?

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 Relationship between mind and body is critical to understanding the text
 Relationship between mind and body changes over time
 Relationship of sport is directly related to the value of the body in a given culture
 The more important the body is, the more central is sport
 The more important the mind, the less central is sport

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 Twentieth century philosophies try to reconcile mind and body
 Monist philosophies: view humans as an integrated whole
 Mind and body are not separate
 Knowledge exists in the entire person
 Focus is not on the nature of a person, but how that person experiences reality

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Modern Philosophy
 Pragmatism—one of first to reject dualism
 Pragmatists argue that experience, and therefore the body, is where one begins to come to know reality
 Pragmatists also argue that man is an embodied entity (mind and body are integrated)
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Existentialism – is highly individualistic
 Argued for existence of God
 Religion useless if we “reason” our way back to God
Three stages of life experience: Aesthetic, Ethical, Religious
Some progress through stages, others remain in first stage forever
 Phenomenology – the body is not an instrument of the mind or the enemy of reason buy an avenue to worldly experience

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Phenomenology and Existentialism
 Both promote subjective experiences that enhance life
 Promote movement and experiences within
 Experience is where one comes to know reality

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SPORT – GAMES - PLAY

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
 no motives other than to participate
 done for its own sake and not for a specific reason
 Can be spontaneous or organized
(games)
 A larger domain than sport

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Game
A play activity which has explicit
rules, specified or understood goals .
. ., the element of opposition or contest, recognizable boundaries in
time and sometimes in space, and a sequence of actions which is essentially “repeatable” every time the game is played.
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. . . a playful physical activity that has:
 Continuity (longevity)
 Division of roles
 Dynamic interaction with an audience
 A supporting sport establishment

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 1. Why study history?
 2. Review types of history and sources of history .
 3. What are the characteristic differences between premodern and modern sport.
 4. Review types of philosophies(Monist, Dualism, Pragmatist, existentialist, and etc.
 5. Review the terms epistemology, metaphysics, and axiology.
 5. Definition of sport, games, and play.