Book description
Over the past forty years, football has surpassed baseball as
America's favorite game. The game has become an institution of our
national culture: the Super Bowl is regarded as an unofficial national
holiday, and our annual Thanksgiving Day celebrations would be
incomplete without it. The sport brings in massive amounts of revenue
to high schools and both public and private universities as spectators
enjoy a unique and celebratory social scene. Professional football
teams across the country cultivate and foster a sense of community in
urban areas. Surely a game this influential, with its hallowed
traditions, treasured festivities, and clearly defined cultural
presence, resonates far beyond recreational importance. Football and
Philosophy: Going Deep, edited by Michael W. Austin, reveals how a
sport followed by millions reflects our deeper values, beliefs, and
priorities. Austin and other contributing writers bring unique
perspectives to this thought-provoking collection of essays. Divided
into "four quarters" of reflective writing, the book covers
many topics frequently debated by football fans. Sharon Ryan asks
"What's So Bad about Performance Enhancing Drugs?", while
the book's editor argues for a playoff system in college football.
Daniel Collins-Cavanaugh ponders whether the salary cap makes the NFL
a fairer league, and Joshua Smith offers his own review of the instant
replay. Football and Philosophy also forays into some time honored
issues as it considers the philosophy of winning in light of the NFL's
most legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, and contemplates the concepts of
sportsmanship, virtue, friendship, and failure. While the book is
unafraid to tackle serious topics, touching on ethics, religion, and
the nature of reality itself, the collection is designed to be
accessible for any interested reader and was written, first and
foremost, for fans of the game. As Austin notes, football fans and
philosophers definitely have one quality in common: they both love to
argue. Football and Philosophy engages in the debates of both groups,
illuminating how the fields are intertwined. So whether they love or
hate the college bowl system or disagree on whether the NFL has an ego
problem, readers of this book will undoubtedly find much to ponder
about America's favorite game.
""Austin and his fellow contributors give new meaning to
the phrase 'going deep.' Fans will enjoy this lively and
thought-provoking collection." "explores philosophical
themes and ideas." --Gregory Bassham" --
Michael W. Austin, associate professor of philosophy at Eastern
Kentucky University, is the editor of the forthcoming Running and
Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind.
