Soccer and Philosophy

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ISBN 978-0-8126-9676-9

~~$19.95~~ $13.97
paper

288 pages

Spring 2010

Soccer and Philosophy

Edited by Ted Richards

Volume 51 in the Popular Culture and Philosophy® series

Who knew that soccer could be so fascinating when looked at with a philosophical eye?

Globally speaking, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. European culture nearly comes to a full stop during the quadrennial World Cup tournament, and interest in the U. S. has been charted for decades by the growing ranks of dedicated soccer moms and youth leagues.

Yet aside from the famous Monty Python sketch “International Football,” which pits an inspired Archimedes and his fellow Greeks against Nietzsche and the moustache-twirling Germans, soccer has failed to gain the intellectual attention it deserves. Until now. This volume gives a leading team of international philosophers a free kick toward exploring the complex and often hidden contours of the world’s most popular game. What does it really mean to be a soccer fan (and why should we count Aristotle as one)? Why do great players such as Cristiano Ronaldo count as great artists (up there alongside Picasso, one author argues)? From the ethics of refereeing to the metaphysics of bent (like Beckham) spacetime, this book will have soccer fans using their heads to appreciate and understand their favorite sport even more.

Ted Richards teaches at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.