Plato and Aristotle

The big picture
Externalism: Ethical standards for sport come from outside of sport.  The same ethics that applies to other domains (everyday life, law, medicine, business) also applies to sport.  

Internalism: Ethical standards for sport come from inside of sport, at least to a significant degree.  The ethics that applies to other domains may not apply to sport. 

Assuming Externalism is correct, what are the ethical standards that should be applied to sport (and everything else)?  

History of ethics gives many answers. McGowan's humorous overview focuses on walking in cricket.

1. Walking in cricket--stupid or virtuous?

Here are some other scenarios we may want to discuss.

2. Trouncing and boasting--problematic or not?

Ancient Ethics (background)

Ancient Greek Boxer

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (5th and 4th century BC, Athens)
Stoics (4th century BC to 100 AD, Rome)

• Focus of ancient ethics is "the good life" (eudaimonia, in Greek).  
• The core of a good life, for them all, is virtue. The virtues are positive character traits like being courageous 
• The Olympics began in ancient Greece. They consisted of track and field events, wrestling, boxing, chariot races, but no team sports. 
• All of these philosophers see physical education as an important part of education.  

Ancient ethics and the virtue argument for walking

1. Virtue is our ultimate goal, the only valuable thing, the only solid basis for happiness. 
2. Walking in the cricket scenario is virtuous, even if it means losing. 
THEREFORE
3. Batsman should admit he's out and walk. 

• All the ancient philosophers accept premise 1.  
• But do they accept premise 2?  
• And would they draw the conclusion, 3?

Plato (428-348 BC)

Would Plato say it's virtuous for the batsman to walk?
Plato's view of the soul.  The soul has three parts--

1. Rational (reasons, makes good judgments)
2. Spirited (wants to win, seeks honor)
3. Appetitive (wants food, sex)

The Soul

Spirit and sports

• not covered by the philosophers who focus on achievement (Hurka), play (Huizinga and Tasioulas), and skill (Papineau)

The virtuous soul

• It's for the rational part of the soul to govern the other two parts.  
• Will a virtuous batsman be truthful, even if it means losing?  
• McGowan says it's not clear

The plot thickens: individual virtue vs. social justice

Plato thinks there are three kinds of people.  In a just society, the rational class rules, but the other two classes are needed too.

A just society

Now imagine a just cricket game 

A just cricket game

Bottom line

1. It may be virtuous of the batsman to walk
2. Plato may have said that overall it's better for athletes to be spirited and for umpires to impose reason.

Is this a good compromise?  

Aristotle (384-382 BC)

Aristotle's account of virtue 
Virtue is a mean between extremes.

The virtue of truthfulness

• Has to do with how you talk about your own strengthens and weaknesses
• Suppose you are a great soccer player and you know it.
• Boasting is a vice, false modesty is a vice, truthfulness is a virtue.
• This pertains to the Megan Rapinoe scenario....

• ... but not to the cricket scenario

• Is there another virtue that pertains to the batsman?

Bottom line

• An athlete inspired by ancient ethics will think of virtue as more important than anything else
• A sports organization inspired by ancient ethics will be run with virtue and justice as having primary importance
• But what are the virtues?