Is Competitive Elite Sport Really Morally Corrupt?

Rögnvaldur D. Ingthorsson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

It has been argued that competitive elite sport both a) reduces the humanity of athletes by turning them into beings whose sole value is determined in relation to others, and b) is motivated by a celebration of the genetically superior and humiliation of the weak. This paper argues that while a) is a morally reproachable attitude to competition, it is not what competitive elite sport revolves around, and that b) simply is not the essence of competitive elite sport. Competitive elite sport is an exploration of the physical and mental demands of sport. Finally, the paper explores a number of consequences of the different views of sport with respect to the problem of intersexual women.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5-14
Number of pages10
JournalPhysical Culture and Sport, Studies and Research
Volume75
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017 Oct 1

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified

Free keywords

  • celebration of the strong
  • competition
  • genetic superiority
  • humiliation of the weak
  • intersexual women
  • sport

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