Emotion in Sports

Emotion is central to human character, infiltrating our physiological functions and our mental constitution. In sport, athletes feel emotion in specific ways, from joy to anger and despair. This is the first book to examine emotion in sport from a philosophical perspective, building on concepts developed by ancient Greek and modern philosophers. For instance, how is Aristotle's concept of catharsis applied to the sports field? How about power as advanced by Nietzsche, or existentialism as discussed by Kierkegaard? Emotion in Sports explores the philosophical framework for the expression of emotion and relates it to our psychological understanding, from the perspective of both athlete and spectator. A fascinating and useful read for students, researchers, scholars, and practitioners in the fields of sport sciences, philosophy, and psychology.

Yunus Tuncel teaches Philosophy at The New School, New York, USA and in New York University's Liberal Studies Program. He is a member of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS) and is co-founder of the Nietzsche Circle, serving on its Board of Directors and the Editorial Board of its electronic journal, The Agonist. In addition to Nietzsche and history of philosophy, he is interested in 20th-century French thought and recent artistic, philosophical, and cultural movements, including postmodernity and post-humanism. His primary areas of research are art, dance, experiences of the body in general, culture, music, myth, sports, and spectacle. He is interested in the fusion of art, sport, and philosophy in various cultural formations.

Introduction, Part I: Theoretical Framework, 1. Catharsis of Emotions, 2. The Question of Affect-Impact and Collective Dimension of Emotions, 3. The Feeling of Power and Power Relations, 4. Quality of Sentiments, Part II: Sport-Specific Emotions (SSE), 5. Fear, Anxiety, Pain, Suffering, and the Question of Authenticity, 6. Other Specific Feelings in Sporting Context: Anger, Depression (or Despair), Envy, Guilt, Sadness et al, 7. Other Specific Feelings in Sporting Context: Ambition, Euphoria, Hubris, Pride et al, Part III: Care of Emotions, 8. 'Sentimental Education' of Athletes, 9. Therapeutic Treatment of Emotions in Sporting Practice, 10. Emotion vs. Action: Physiological, Psychological, Linguistic, and Rational Aspects of Emotion, Epilogue