Vieraantumista vai ystävyyttä? : minän ja toisen väliset suhteet urheilussa

Abstract

Sport is a universal phenomenon that can be found in all cultures, both present and past. In the spirit of the modern Olympic idea, sport has been thought to be a factor that unites individuals. It is an activity that is done for its own sake and brings people together in a divided world. On the other hand, sport has been argued to embody the primitive aspects of man. From this perspective sport has been seen primarily as a struggle against another individual or group. It is characterized by aggression, even violence and winning at any cost. Through different historical examples, it is quite easy reach the conclusion, that sport is a phenomenon which both separates and unites people. The virtuous search for truth in ancient sports, the violent sports culture of the Roman Empire and the form of football that existed among the people for hundreds of years in the Middle Ages are the examples we have chosen to exemplify different forms of collectivity and relationships of interaction between self and the other in the history of sports. Following philosopher Drew Hyland's views, our argument is that with a philosophical analysis of the concept of sport, it is possible to reach a position according to which friendship is necessary for sport. Such a relationship between people is a precondition for individuals to be able to participate to activity called sports. The many negative phenomena associated with modern sports are not so much about the sport per se, but rather about the culture in which we live. Our conclusion is that there can be no competition without mutual respect. Whether you're a winner or a loser, you need an opponent. The possibility of an act of sport requires a joint, free-will decision of the Self and the Other, and a shared desire to strive towards a collective goal. When two individuals commit to such cooperation, it is reasonable to call their mutual relation, a relation of friendship which is characterized by openness towards another person. In striving for victory, an individual always takes the risk of losing, which possibility includes the acceptance that someone else can be better than me at any time. A truly sporty person does not seek to subordinate his fellow competitor to his own superiority, but realizes that without friendship, a sporting event cannot exist.

Urheilu liikuttaa monin tavoin. Se kohottaa sykkeen, saa massan ja massat liikkeelle sekä nostaa silmiin tuskan ja ilon kyyneleet. Urheilu kehittää yksilöä sekä yhdistää ryhmiä, kansakuntia ja ihmisiä. Käsitykset siitä, mitä urheilu on ja mikä on sen merkitys ihmisille, ovat vaihdelleet. Antiikin Kreikassa urheilu oli keskeinen osa kulttuuria, ja se nähtiin areenana, jossa ihminen voi ilmentää hyveitä ja pyrkiä parhaimpaansa. Rooman valtakunnassa ja keskiajalla urheilu sai Euroopassa erilaisia muotoja ja samalla sen yhteisöllinen funktio ja merkitys muuttuivat. Teollisen vallankumouksen myötä syntynyt moderni urheilu puolestaan eroaa olennaisesti urheilun varhaisemmista ilmenemisen tavoista ja sen syvimmistä syistä yksilöille ja yhteisöille.