Soccer & Philosophy

Football: Emotions, Values, and Identities

socphil — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:12:53 +0000

Contributors Yuval Eylon and Amir Horowitz have organized a 1-day conference entitled “Football: Emotions, Values, and Identities; An interdisciplinary conference,” to be held June 8th at the Open University in Raanana, Israel.

For more information, including the list of speakers and topics, please contact Yuval directly.

Vienna Booksigning

socphil — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:02:39 +0000

To get you into the mood for the World Cup, The British Bookshop is presenting an evening of “beautiful thoughts on the beautiful game.”

Editor Ted Richards will be presenting his book Soccer and Philosophy, a collection of incisive articles which gives a leading team of international philosophers a free kick toward exploring the complex and often hidden contours of the world of soccer. What does it really mean to be a fan (and why should we count Aristotle as one)? Why do great players such as Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo count as great artists (up there alongside Picasso, one author argues)? From the ethics of refereeing to the metaphysics of bent (like Beckham) space-time, this book shows soccer fans and philosophy buffs alike new ways to appreciate and understand the world’s favorite sport.

Admission is free, and wine and refreshments will be served.

Location:
The British Bookshop
Weihburggasse 24, 1010
Vienna, Austria

Date: 9 June 2010

Time:
7-9 pm

More Information:
The British Bookshop on Facebook

Round Table: Linguistic hooliganism and sectarianism

socphil — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:30:48 +0000

Soccer and Philosophy contributor Luca Vargiu will be participating in a roundtable discussion on “Linguistic Hooliganism and Sectarianism” in Cagliari, Italy, on May 28, 2010.

Details:
Friday, May 28th at Manamanà: Linguistic hooliganism and sectarianism, a round table on the phenomenon of language of British soccer supporters between creativity and aggressiveness. With Daniele Vidili, author of a study on the topic, Luca Vargiu, aesthetician, Carlo Alberto Melis, journalist, Richard Lisle, former Metropolitan Police Officer in London. In collaboration with Associazione Italia-Inghilterra.

More information (in Italian): http://www.circolodeilettori.it/

Lecture at the Royal Society

socphil — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:34 +0000

An Amateur in a Professional Game: Sir Harold Thompson FRS, the FA and English Football
Date: 11 June 2010
Start Time: 1.30pm
Venue: The Royal Society, London

Sir Harold Thompson (1908-1983), as well as being a distinguished physical chemist and Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, is an important but neglected figure in the history of English football. He is perhaps now best remembered in terms of his association with the failure of the England national team in the 1970s; as the man who played a key role in the sacking of Alf Ramsey as England manager in 1974 and the vetoing of the appointment of public favourite Brian Clough in 1977.

If we delve a little deeper, however, Thompson’s footballing biography is revealing of the changing traditions and priorities of the English game in the post-war years. Based on the personal papers he left to the Royal Society, this talk will examine Harold Thompson’s life in, and influence on, English football and the Football Association. It will discuss his amateur background and his role in the foundation of the combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities side Pegasus FC; his contributions to international football politics and the development of a national coaching infrastructure during the 1970s; and his rise to influence and power at the FA, culminating in his chairmanship between 1976 and 1981.

Speakers: Professor Matthew Taylor and Dr Neil Carter, International Centre for Sport History and Culture, De Montfort University

To reserve your seat at this free event please contact Rupert Baker (rupert.baker@royalsociety.org). Audience members are very welcome to stay on afterwards for a live screening of the opening game of the World Cup, South Africa v Mexico, which kicks off at 3:00pm.