God, Sport Philosophy, Kinesiology: A MacIntyrean Examination

Abstract

Sport philosophy is in crisis. This subdiscipline of kinesiology garners little to no respect and few tenure track lines in kinesiology departments. Why is this the case? Why isn’t philosophy held in greater esteem? Is it possible that philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre’s (2009) diagnosis found in “God, Philosophy, Universities” could actually be fruitfully applied to kinesiology? MacIntyre argued that philosophy’s fall from grace parallels the decline of theology in universities. This is the case for two simple reasons. First, philosophy was traditionally charged with giving an account of how the different disciplines fit together on the presumption that an orderly account of the universe could be given. However, the imperative for, as well the intelligibility of, such an account is hard to defend absent God. Second, without God, it becomes very difficult to argue that the philosophic enterprise is fundamentally human. Instead, philosophy becomes an esoteric enterprise meant for specialists. If this is right, then the sanitization of God from the modern university can also explain the plight of sport philosophy. To put it simply, theology must be taken seriously if philosophy is to be taken seriously. God must be admissible in the classroom. This does not mean that students should be catechized, but rather it is to insist that scholars must acknowledge (rather than hide from or dismiss) the legitimacy of theological questions.