REVERSE PLAY: TOWARD A PHILOSOPHY FROM SPORT

In this paper, I argue that, beyond a philosophy of sport, space should be made for a 'philosophy from sport.' A philosophy from sport is one that can allow us to see sport as more than instantiating broader social values (externalism) or possessing an isolated set of unique values (internalism). It can, as I believe a philosophy from sport, by paying special attention to the actual practice of sport, bring with it ways of developing, informing, even justifying a set of broader social values. Using as a test case Michael Sandel's arguments counter markets in What Money Can't Buy, with a particular focus on his critique of naming rights for stadiums and arenas, I maintain that sport shows how markets can be reformed in order not to suffer the charge that they breed inequality and corruption or indecency. In fact, with sport, I argue it is possible to see exactly how markets can serve equality, decency, and ultimately the pursuit of excellence. Relying, in part, on the work of philosophers of sport from diverse traditions such as Caillois, Connor, McGinn, Simon, and Suits, I build on their views to show that the singular focus on competitive balance in pursuit of proving sporting excellence through fair competition can serve as an analogical model for reforming markets in general, and hence meeting Sandel's critique. And with that done, I end by returning to my broader point that as with Sandel on markets, a philosophy from sport can aid in the resolution of a number of different, broad-based philosophical and social issues.