Please comment on at least several if not all of these questions -- use separate posts if you like.
What have you learned in this course that surprised you?
Would you take another course in philosophy if money/time weren't major barriers?
Do you have an understanding of the philosophical dimensions of the study and critique of sport?
Have you developed an appreciation for the relevance of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions in our daily lives?
Have you improved in your skills of analysis and critique, as well as in written and oral communication due to this course?
One thing that I learned in the this course that surprised me was the controversy around concussions in sports, particularly football. I knew that athletes were getting concussions, but I did not realize how long scientists had known about the effects of concussions long-term. It was even more shocking to me that scientific research was disregarded on the terms of money and power. Research that is pertinent for not only NFL players but high school and younger should never be kept a secret from institutions that can educate and have a more accessible impact on society than a few scientists whose research is being swept under the rug.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nicole. I never knew about the controversy, and when I watched the documentary on PBS, I found it very shocking to the long term effects of having concussions, and I'm glad research is being done to manage the problem, but it definitely is now a concern for those pursuing a career in the NFL, and how willing are they to take those risks of having the long term affects if they get a concussion.
DeleteIf time and money were not a barrier then i would take another philosophy class as long as it was with Dr.Cate. The classes are fun and bring up good discussion, especially for people who do not like to talk in class. Also it goes in depth to things we only know the surface of.
ReplyDeleteThis course helped me bring up to par with my written and oral skills. During discussions, I try to listen more closely and prepare a counter or agreeing argument towards the topic. Also I learned to base my critiques on facts and evidence as well as first hand experiences.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I learned in this course is the importance of spreading the knowledge of each sport. In the class the was a wide variety of sports that my fellow classmates play. I feel like the variety of sports increased the knowledge of all aspects of the different sports. I enjoyed this philosophy class. So yes I would not mind taking another if it weren't for the money. I truly feel that I have gotten a better understanding of the ethics and critiques of sports all throughout the course. I think that all of us need to stop and think about the ethical aspect of our daily aspects. I enjoyed and truly believe my writing skills have developed to a higher level due to this course.
ReplyDeleteI argree with Kyle, it has been fun to hear the way different athletes from different sports speak on how they think on situations. It was neat to see how the football players were almost the same on there thinking, and same with soccer player, baseball, volleyball. but we also were about to see how they thought and got away from the stereotype and because a class to talk about different things and hearing different points of views from each sport.
DeleteI have to agree with Kyle and Kevin with the experience of learning knowledge from different sports with the different perspectives on topics that affect each sport in some shape or form. It was interesting to see the reactions of the different athletes from different sports when responding to questions relating to the topics discussed.
DeleteI learned that there are artistic endeavors can have similarity's to athletics or plays within sports. I would definitely take another course in philosophy because I find it interesting how they make you think critically about certain things. I do believe I have a better understanding of the philosophical dimensions of the study and critique of sport and I have developed an appreciation for the relevance of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions in my daily life. I do think that I have improved my communication skills throughout this course.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that one thing I realized was how art can be compared to sports. Its interesting to see the similarities between the hard work and talent of a final masterpiece and the once in a lifetime, perfected game winning play in the last game of the World Series for example.
DeleteI have always considered sports and art to be two very separate things. Which is kind of surprising because I've heard people say when they see an amazing play in sports "Now that's art". This class helped me realize that these two things are much more closely related than I had thought. They both are centered around form, and perfecting that form for the perfect piece or the perfect play.
DeleteI learned that people don't think the way I do.. (that was a joke), but the course did have me actually think and critique my own thoughts as well as others on subjects that I would never have thought about. For instance, what is a sport or what is cheating? If you think about it, there are many questions that you wouldn't ask yourself unless you took a second to think about them. I feel like this is the knowledge that I best learned from this class. Thanks Dr. Cate!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed hearing the discussion that took place in class and how passionate everyone is about the sport they play. I was surprised at how much the class participated in discussion because the last philosophy class I was in, the same people talked every time, and in our class, everyone for the most part had something to say about every topic brought up in class.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the time, I would definitely take another philosophy course. My friend is in the aesthetics class, and it sounded pretty interesting. I took Death & Dying and I will say that especially during this time, it has helped me to look at life in a different way than I did before taking the course, and has helped understand and accept death a lot better than before.
ReplyDeleteAs a spectator of sports, sports are something that don't usually require much thought or reflection. Through a philosophical lens, it is enlightening to discuss the dimensions of sport that are not as obvious or superficial. These dimensions have required ethical deliberation and a new appreciation for what sport contribute to athletes and fans alike. I definitely feel like I have a better understanding of the philosophical issues in sports.
ReplyDeletei loved this class because we discussed something i have interest in, and like to talk about. It made it easy to learn and connect with the concepts. My favorite part of the class was the way we could write papers that are interesting topics! it made it easier to be expressive and have fun writing. I would take another philosophical course if it were something i was interested in.
ReplyDeleteI play tennis, but that's about it, I normally don't follow sports at all. So taking this class was an eye-opener because I had never really considered the many ethical dilemmas of sports. Of course you hear about things like doping and cheating, but I never really thought about whether or not colleges are exploiting their athletes or other ethical dilemmas like that. In short, this class has caused me to explore more deeply the ethics surrounding sports.
ReplyDeleteI shockingly enjoyed this course. It taught me a lot more about sports I didn't know much about, and the ethics involved. As a coach this course actually contributed to my life a little bit more. I learned of the many different ethical dilemmas that are faced with athletics like Title 9, doping, cheating, and how much politics depending on what Division school it is effect the student athletes and the academic system. I thought the topics we discussed were very relatable which is what made the discussions better. I liked how opinion mattered in this class rather than just regurgitating some other person's views over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the guest speakers lecturing on topics that are related to the course. Each speaker brought their own experience and opinion of the topic to class clearly when it was discussed. They introduced ideas on topics which are relatable to every person and that can be applied not just to athletics but also to life in general.
ReplyDeleteI would say my oral and written communication really did not improve in being critical of topics. This is probably because I'm use to being critical of things already from the college imposing their plan on getting students to think critically. This just comes from my experience of being here at Thomas More for 5 years which means I took a lot of courses where it is a norm to think critically.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding of the philosophical dimensions when it comes to studying and critiquing sport is that there has to be several perspectives of philosophy in critiquing any sport and any situation. This includes the ideas from several philosophical theories such as Kant. However, you really can't apply these philosophical theories right in the moment in making a decision in a situation due emotion, etc.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this course! Being involved in sports it really grabbed my attention and we always had new things to talk about in class. I also liked the discussion. As Kyle said I liked having such a wide variety of people who participate in different sports, it made the class interesting. I would take another philosophy course, I think it helped improve my critical thinking skills as well as my writing skills because I was writing about topics that interested me.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I have learned in this course is that there are a lot more ethical issues in sports then I thought. I originally just that that sports were sports but with this class I realized that sports really do affect the world and many people in it. I would take another course like this because I like how it was a discussion class and I really enjoyed how everyone got to voice their opinion. This class really did open up my eyes to ethical questions that are in my everyday life.
ReplyDeleteWhat have you learned in this course that surprised you?
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at how much you can relate philosophy to sports and how with being an athlete, it makes it that much easy to understand and relate to. I believe this allowed me to enjoy this class that much more and be able to learn with relating most topics to sports.
Have you improved in your skills of analysis and critique, as well as in written and oral communication due to this course?
ReplyDeleteI believe this coarse has allowed me to improve all of my writing, communication, and oral skills. With the group presentations, the blogs, and our classroom discussions, have given me the chance to put forth my effort in contributing to all of these and allowing me to improve in all of these categories.
Have you developed an appreciation for the relevance of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions in our daily lives?
ReplyDeleteI have developed an appreciatiation more and more as this class has developed, especially ethically. With this class pertaining to sports and ethics, and with loving sports and have played them since the age of six, i have a great appreation for sports, their rules, and with that, you have to morally and ethically respect them. This class has discussed many issues within the sports world of ethical and unethical occurances.
As the semester ends I have realized that I have improved my writing immensely. The way we have to write to define every term has made my writing be more elaborate. When it comes to the appreciation of ethical questions of the day it has helped me not only in this class, but also in my political science class because ethical questions come up in my classes all the time. This way of looking at the world and sports differently is what has really surprised me about this class.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I learned in this course is the importance to look at everything situation from every possible point of view in order to make the best decision possible. Whether its ethical in any sport or any case. The comparisons with sports and acting was very eye opening for me. I also very much enjoyed all the discussions and point of interest brought up in class on a daily basis. If there weren't any barriers I would more than likely take another philosophy course. Especially if it were one that interest me such as this Sports related philosophy course. I also believe through this course and Dr. Cate's help that I have became a better writer than I was previously.
ReplyDeleteThrough this class I have learned how to debate and how to say what I think while considering other people's views. I have also learned how to look at a situation in different views instead of just what I think. Before I say things now, I stop to consider what other point of views people can have so this will help me debate. This class has also helped me improve my writing and critical thinking skills, too. Like I said before, now I stop to think about all the different point of views which is something I never really did before. Also, through all the papers we have wrote has helped me improve my writing.
ReplyDeleteThe class sports and ethics really dove deep into the philosophy behind sports. I never would have realized the battle of ethics that is relevant in todays sports society. As a society we want fairness on all levels and meeting everyones demands tend to be difficult. I love debating and discussing relevant points that come up everyday in the news. It was a pleasure attending the class and I know i will use my new ethical and moral skills to make knowledgable choices in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis class helped me realize just how deep the controversies in sport ran. Fairness is a concept that is idealized, but not necessarily always realized, and the ethics of trying to reach fairness was something that I didn't realize was as big of an issue as it still is. Especially when it revolves around the idea of women and sports. As a woman athlete, I know there is work to be done, but I had never seen it so blatantly obvious as I did in this class.
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