Philosophy Reflection: To what extent is it useful to divide the human
into body and mind, and what are its limitations?
By: Kiley Lance
It is not useful to divide the human into body and mind; this idea was clearly presented to
me throughout Ryall’s reading. Ryall refers to ancient Greece throughout her writing and states,
“a body without a soul was simply a corpse” (Ryall 68). I interpret this quote to mean that without
our soul, which makes us who we are, we are nothing, if no one had a soul we would all be the
same. Ryall further goes on to say, “training the body was also considered to be training the soul”
(Ryall 68). This shows that the body and mind should not be divided but treated as one. As a former
athlete myself, I learned how big emotions and our soul lead into how we physically perform. If
you are angry on the field, you may tend to play with more aggression towards the other team, or
even begin to treat your own teammates poorly. The limitations that come with not dividing into
body and mind is sometimes it is not good to act with your emotions, for example, if you are
frustrated with how you are playing, or you keep making mistakes it is unfair to take it out on your
teammates. However, there are benefits that come with having a connected body and mind, the
passion that you feel in your soul for your sport will carry through to your athletic performance.
Works Cited:
Ryall, Emily. Philosophy of Sport: Issues and Ideas. Bloomsbury, 2015.