PHIL 2020H Lecture Notes - Mutual Exclusivity, Bacchanalia, Totalitarianism
26 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
10 due over the semester, 1 per week (Tuesdays or Thursdays)
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1.Identify a section that is interesting
2.Note something that you agree and disagree with
3.Draw a reference or analogy to something outside the reading
Reading reflections
Each reflection is worth 5% of your total grade
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Use non-sexist language (e.g humankind, not mankind)
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A way of thinking
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Field of study
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Love of knowledge
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Questioning, difference of opinions
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What is philosophy?
Fun
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Killing time
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Activity
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Active vs leisure
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Hobby
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Entertainment
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What is Recreation
Physical activity- performance
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Competitive
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Objective/goal
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Dance- Art & Sport?
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Training/practice
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Organized
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Thursday's class:
Read Play of Art, being posted on blackboard
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Play=art
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Really nice person, goodwill, dialogue
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German, also think about world history and his lifetime
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Gadamer (1902-2002), play- central topic
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What is Sport?
What is philosophy of sport
January 9, 2018
12:54 PM
Philosophy of Sport and Recreation Page 1
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Learning to socialize
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Fun
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Independent reality
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Creativity
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Expression
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What is play?
Imagination
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Toys
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Cardboard boxes
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Pots and pans
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Wrapping paper
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Everything
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What do we play with?
Everyone
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Who do we play with?
Gadamer begins his essay by noting how questionable the gap between humans and others
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What distinguishes humans?
Lucid dreaming and the made up worlds
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… ael, soeties e hae ules i ou pla. We eate a old that shapes ad liits the
play but which we can leave at any moment. We can stop playing and go back to the real life
rules
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He does draw a slight difference between humans and animals at play, though
As if allows for participation
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As in gym- did you take it seriously, participation mark in gym class
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Fundamental rule in play- as if stutue, at as if e ee ….
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Operate by a different set of rules in play
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More than what you need, without it, we just have necessities
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Not just the as if structure- excess is too
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What is at the issue i the pla of at…ad hat ae aout
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Play is not about escapism for Gadamer. He is speaking about the play of art here but one can
see how it applies to genuine play of any type:
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Play is not peripheral to real life
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Play is seriousness, freedom, and limitation; all wrapped up together and channeled into
creating sense (through fun) or as Gadamer states: play is less the opposite of seriousness
than the vital ground of spirit as nature, a form of restraint and freedom at one and the same
time
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The as if structure'
Gadamer
January 11, 2018
11:58 AM
Philosophy of Sport and Recreation Page 2
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By Hayden Ramsey
Reclaiming leisure, from the notion that leisure is useless or shallow or otherwise
unimportant
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Looking at the historical background (first chapter)
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Aristotle, Aquinas, Wittgenstein and Gadamer
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Wrote and thought on everything- science, politics, human existence as a whole
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Ethical life= human life
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No leisure= no happiness
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Ramsey begins his discussion with Aristotle on leisure, ethics and happiness
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Family man, business man- needs leisure- time away from their focus
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First sense: Artistiole argues that we cannot engage in any activity continuously without
period of leisure what we might call recreational leisure
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Leisure not only is recreational but gives pleasure and enjoyment in life
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Good people seek fulfillment of their whole being (body, mind, imagination etc.) and
is good to seek fulfillment in all these areas
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Therefore, letting go of responsibilities- in Aristotle's sense- slavery is
somewhat ok
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Such virtuous choosing requires a certain freedom from constraints and necessity- it
also requires a relaxed, calm, frame of mind
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Second sense: Leisure is not instrumental, but a constituent of good life itself
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Recreation, sport- all have their own virtues
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We flourish best in the balance of these virtues
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How many have a sense of ease from money, work etc
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Aristotle says we must be free from these pressing areas of concerns (free from
worrying about money)
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What if ou do’t hae uh tie fo leisue?
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If your life does not include freedom from pressing material concerns and
constraints?
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Leisure - An important human good that many people lack (money/resources)
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How much of the leisure industry is built precisely on this dichonmy
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Classism relates to leisure (some have more time and resources than other)
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Second leisure is used in here raises other issues too:
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Contemplate the meaning of things
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3rd Sense of Leisure: Issues of classism become even more apparent in third sense of
leisure, which is contemplation
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Aristotle
Do’t agee- we are not in contemplation while we are most ourselves
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Ramsey points out that aristotle believe contemplative leisure to be the ultimate purpose
of good human living, we are most ourselves during contemplation
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Aquinas
Ramsey says that for aquinas, play has two elements: 1) appropriate pleasure 2) relaxation or
rest which comes after labour and that play has its own virtue called eutrapalia (ability to joke
and play with someone)
Play is required for our happiness
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When we playfully play, we are playing to enjoy ourselves and have fun
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Why do we have playful impulses
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Play not only offers rest from labour and preparation for further goal-directed activity; it
also bring to fruition the human beings natural playfulness. Thus people who do not see
leisure, play and the rest and pleasure they bring, will suffer harm
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Playfulness helps to avoid frustration and anger, and to keep work light
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Wittgenstein
With Wittgenstein, leisure activity is not for contemplation of eternal truths, but is a basic
social reality; and it is the reality of games he adopts as key to the explanation of
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Ramsey on Wittgenstein:
Question:
What kind of
questions on
tests
Reading
reflections- can
they be based on
what we talked
today
Philosophers on Play
January 16, 2018
12:58 PM
Philosophy of Sport and Recreation Page 3
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