Knowing the Score: What Sports Can Teach Us About Philosophy (And What Philosophy Can Teach Us About Sports)

Papineau's (philosophy, Kings Coll. London, UK; Philosophical Devices: Proofs, Probabilities, Possibilities, and Sets) book isn't what this reviewer would think of as a typical "philosophy of sport" book that applies ethics and philosophy to sports. Instead, the author takes the more interesting approach and uses sports to explain philosophical theories. Areas covered include athletes' ability to focus, rules of sports, teams, tribes, and values. In each chapter, the author applies several different sports to explain the various theories. One difficulty that Papineau brings up is in including sports that have a wide global appeal so that readers will understand his examples. He succeeds by using baseball, soccer, golf, and cycling along with cricket and rugby to explain topics such as game theory, logic, and morality. While the reader will be rewarded by taking in the entire work, each chapter can also be read by itself.