CONFERENCE: Sport and the Environment: Philosophical Dimensions

Sport and the Environment: Philosophical Dimensions

Thursday June 23- Saturday June 25 2011

Hosted by:

Human Kinetics Dept.

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish Nova Scotia, CANADA

Note: Additional information and call for abstracts to follow in the fall

Environmental forces in sport and physical activity have revolutionized our sporting participation. These events invite philosophical discussion and analysis of the ethical dimensions of environment and sport and, also, of their broader implications for the conception of sport itself. Some questions that should be asked include: What role does environment play in sport, and what role ought it to play? Which responsibilities do sport governing bodies have over the impact of sport on the environment? Ought we be concerned about our environmental footprint in sport and physical activity? To what degree--if at all--ought the IOC to regulate the impact of Olympic sports on the environment? Should sports which negatively impact the environment be changed or even eliminated? Who ought to determine appropriate impacts of sport on the environment? How ought "the environment” to be defined in terms of sport and physical activity?  What is the morally appropriate role played by animals in the context of sport and the environment? The conference aims to open philosophical dialogue on these and other topics related to environment and sport and physical activity.