Book description
In a game where players are expected to call their own penalties and
scoring the least points leads to victory, decorum takes precedence
over showmanship and philosophical questions become par for the
course. Few other sports are as suited for ethical and metaphysical
examination as golf. It is a game defined by dichotomies -- relaxing,
yet frustrating, social, yet solitary -- and between these extremes
there is room for much philosophical inquiry.
In Golf and Philosophy: Lessons from the Links, a clubhouse full of
skilled contributors tee off on a range of philosophical topics within
the framework of the fairway. The book's chapters are arranged in the
style of an eighteen-hole golf course, with the front nine exploring
ethical matters of rationality and social civility in a world of moral
hazards and roughs. The back nine pries even deeper, slicing into
matters of the metaphysical, including chapters on mysticism,
idealism, identity, and meaning.
Taken together, the collection examines the intellectual nature of
this beloved pastime, considering the many nuances of a sport that
requires high levels of concentration, patience, and consistency, as
well as upstanding moral character. Golf and Philosophy celebrates the
joys and complexities of the game, demonstrating that golf has much to
teach both its spectators and participants about modern life.
""Examines golf through the lens of ethical, social, and
philosophical issues."--Publishers Weekly" --
Andy Wible is an instructor of philosophy at Muskegon Community College.
