Despite criticisms that commercialism corrupts college sports (Duderstadt, 2003, Roberts 2008, Zimbalist 2006), commercialism, if executed appropriately can strengthen and develop the moral integrity of sport. A utilitarian approach to the commercialization of sport can be used to strengthen its moral integrity. From a utilitarian standpoint, John Stuart Mill's greatest happiness principle and Jeremy Bentham's hedonic calculus can be used to help determine specific approaches to the commercialization of sport. The interests of the sporting community including sport participants, coaches, administrators, fans, and community members, must be considered when commercializing sport to a moral end. Thoroughly understanding a morally grounded mission in a sport organization is a prerequisite to the effective negotiation of terms of commercial agreements that mutually support the mission of the commercial entity and sport organization. The commercialization of sport includes but is not limited to television contracts, venue signage, licensing of merchandise, and corporate sponsorships. Identifying a professional "fit" between the sport organization and commercial entity is imperative. The use of common sense, and experience as outlined by Mill and Bentham (as cited in Beauchamp 1982) and understanding human nature as outlined by Hume (1739/1964) are useful when attempting to determine how particular commercialism efforts may consciously or subconsciously develop or reduce the moral integrity of sport. Beyond sport, the influences and risks of commercialism can be understood by observing its effect on non-sport organizations. Threats to the moral integrity of sport arise when entering into revenue generating commercial agreements. Sport's overreliance on revenue from a commercial entity is a factor that can potentially cause deviation from a sport organization's morally based mission. Excessive expansion and lavish funding of sport organizations can contribute to overreliance on revenue from commercial entities. Personal greed can also play a role in detracting from the moral integrity of the mission.
The modern lifestyle, with its emphasis on enjoyment and immoderation, could lead a human being to the point where he is not a master of himself anymore. Inner desires and outer pressures force a man to take those actions that are not in accordance with his rational human nature and that are not good for him. According to the classical philosophical view of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, this clearly shows the inner slavery of modern man. Temperance, moderation or asceticism today seem old fashioned and unnecessary virtues; nevertheless, it is obvious that many problems of modern societies have roots in the absence of these virtues. These problems include a high percentage of obese population, different addictions and other health problems concerning the immoderate life style. It seems that nowadays enjoyment is the highest imperative for the individual and for society as a whole. However, these days it is possible to recognize the revival of these virtues. This paper points out the case of sport where these virtues are still cultivated and highly appreciated. At first this may seem somehow strange, because many times sport is perceived as connected with pleasure, fun and excess, but in reality sport demands much of participants. It could be even said that professional athletes are modern ascetics, and a big part of recreational sport is all but not enjoyment. In conclusion we can assert that virtues acquired in the field of sport can indeed help a human being to live a better life in general.
Sport with its long and rich history is and always has been a complex phenomenon of culture, this marvellous world of objectified human spirit, the environment of man's consciousness and its deep dreams and ideals. So, key elements of sport are not limited to the games themselves, but encompass also a strong ethos consisting of a system of values and models of comportment, personal development and human perfection, frequently expressed in philosophical terms. In ancient Greece, philosophical reflection on sport was directly related to anthropology and focused on the human's whole physical, psychical and spiritual prowess and its improvement. Similar cohesion of the sport idea, philosophy and anthropology is also present in de Coubertin's heritage with its special emphasis on pedagogy. Sport carries a huge educational potential as a tool for shaping man on the somatic, mental, emotional, moral and social levels. But contemporary sport itself is infected by pathologies (actually, first signals of them were present in antiquity), which leads to violating the rule of fair play, to doping, commercialisation of sporting achievements and treating them in an instrumental manner, to the reification of sportsmen and treating the records as an ultimate fetish. In view of such phenomena, the most appropriate and effective reaction seems to take up a reference to classical ideals of the sport ethos and their incessant reinforcement in the process of nowadays education and human self-understanding. In ancient Greece, the philosophy of sport was a complementary element of the whole phenomenon, serving as its idealistic final touch, while today it is increasingly used as a preliminary condition for the practice of sport and is indispensable for a continuation and harmonious development of its tradition. Therefore, the anamnesis of cultural sources of sport is not only of historic character but also, and primarily, has a therapeutic dimension. So, it seems worthwhile and justified to return, restore and reclaim some ancient philosophical ideals that once constituted the base of Greek sport in its great connection with anthropology, a general view of human potential in physical movement. The presented text examines the concept of virtue in ancient sport and philosophy and compares it with contemporary, especially postmodern philosophical (with references to Zygmunt Bauman and Wolfgang Welsch) understanding of human prowess, well-being and beauty.
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