The Philosophy of Football

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: A funny old game
	Football and the human condition
	About the book
	Notes
1. The character of football: This is Anfield
	Introduction
	Preliminaries
	Some kinds of make-believe
	Sport is extra-ordinary
	Aliefs, football behaviour and the purpose of football
	Football and proto-pretence
	Objections and replies
	Conclusion
	Notes
2. The nature of football: A game of two halves
	Introduction
	The variety of formalism and social kinds
	The social kind of sport
	The social kind of football
	The football form and functions
	Objections and replies
	Conclusion
	Notes
3. The analysis of football: Four four two
	Introduction
	An outline of Suits’s analysis of sport
	Football and prelusory goals
	Football and limited means
	Football and constitutive rules
	Football and the lusory attitude needed for playing the sport
	Football and physical skills
	Football and wide following with a wide level of stability
	Refereeing and match minding and maintenance
	Objections and replies
	Conclusion
	Notes
4. The aesthetics of football: Football, bloody hell
	Introduction
	Fairness of result vs. the drama of football
	Free beauty and football
	An agon aesthetics of football
	Real values and fictional values
	Aesthetic engagement resistance
	Silly questions and the football
	Objections and replies
	Conclusion
	Notes
Conclusion: They think it’s all over
References
Index