Tennis and Philosophy: What the Racket is All About (Philosophy Of Popular Culture)

Tennis smashed onto the worldwide athletic scene soon after its modern rules and equipment were introduced in nineteenth-century England. Exciting, competitive, and uniquely accessible to people of all ages and talent levels, tennis continues to enjoy popularity, both as a recreational activity and a spectator sport. Life imitates sport in Tennis and Philosophy. Editor David Baggett approaches tennis not only as a game but also as a surprisingly rich resource for philosophical analysis. He assembles a team of champion scholars, including David Foster Wallace, Robert R. Clewis, David Detmer, Mark Huston, Tommy Valentini, Neil Delaney, and Kevin Kinghorn, to consider numerous philosophical issues within the sport. Profiles of tennis greats such as John McEnroe, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, and Arthur Ashe are paired with pertinent topics, from the ethics of rage to the role of rivalry. Whether entertaining metaphysical arguments or examining the nature of beauty, these essays promise insightful discussion of one of the world's most popular sports.

Tennis volleyed onto the worldwide athletic scene soon after its modern rules and equipment were introduced in nineteenth-century England. Exciting, competitive, and uniquely accessible to people of all ages and levels of talent, tennis continues to enjoy popularity, as both a recreational activity and a spectator sport. Each year, millions of fans around the world tune in to the Grand Slam championships to witness the intense drama and fierce rivalries of the game.

In Tennis and Philosophy: What the Racket Is All About, editor David Baggett assembles a team of champion scholars to reflect on philosophical questions that often emerge in the sport. Profiles of tennis greats such as John McEnroe, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters, and Arthur Ashe are paired with analyses of ethics, aesthetics, politics, and other fields of philosophical inquiry. Each chapter demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the game as well as a heartfelt respect for its history and value.

The volume opens with a piece by the acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, who, with equal parts humor and adoration, likens the athletic performance of Roger Federer to a religious experience. David Detmer examines the ethics of rage by applying the theories of utilitarianism and deontologism to the behavior of athletes on the courts. David Baggett and Neil Delaney Jr. dissect the complex roles of rivalry and friendship in competition. Kevin Kinghorn explores the culture surrounding tennis parents and their children, who are often pushed at a very young age to compete and succeed as tennis players. Helen Ditouras centers a discussion of race and gender on the media's disparate coverage of Anna Kournikova and Serena Williams.

Written by philosophers and lovers of the game, Tennis and Philosophy offers substantive philosophical analyses of tennis for fans and scholars alike.

Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: The Love of Wisdom Federer as Religious Experience Why Roger Federer Is the Best: Or Is It McEnroe? Why Are All Tennis Films Bad? Excuses, Excuses: Inside the Mind of a Complainer Authoritarian Tennis Parents: Are Their Children Really Any Worse Off? "You Cannot Be Serious!" The Ethics of Rage in Tennis Love–Love: A Fresh Start at Finding Value and Virtue in Tennis A Court Conversation Stabbing Seles: Fans and Fair Play The "Kournikova Phenomenon" Losing Beautifully Arthur Ashe: Philosopher in Motion The Ridiculous Meets the Radical in the Battle of the Sexes Friendship, Rivalry, and Excellence The Players Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Z Many native North American cultures have origins that predate Confucius, who lived five hundred years before the birth of Christ. For generations the people of these traditions have thrived under conditions that many view as harsh if not hostile. Through