Journal of the Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education
Online ISSN : 1884-4553
Print ISSN : 0915-5104
ISSN-L : 0915-5104
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A Study on the Discrimination Inherent to Sport: Using Yoshimichi Nakajima’s Discrimination Theory as a Frame of Reference
Mitsuharu OMINE
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2019 Volume 41 Issue 1 Pages 47-54

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Abstract

In this article, I explore, through the prism of Yoshimichi Nakajima’s discrimination theory, the structural aspects of sport that generate discrimination. According to Nakajima, discriminati on does not only occur when people find someone unpleasant and start feeling hatred or contem pt toward that person; it also occurs when people find someone threatening and then take pride in themselves, or in the group with whom they affiliate and become filled with a sense of superi ority. In this study, I demonstrated that sport matches and training sessions incessantly produce feelings of unpleasantness, hatred, contempt, fear, pride, and superiority.

On the matter of how to deal with discrimination, Nakajima argued that people need to thor oughly criticize the discrimination feelings of others. He also asserted that people should feel th emselves indebted to those born with inferior capacities, or those who are less fortunate. When engaging the discrimination that arises in sports, the winners in a match should feel indebted to the losers or to the less able competitors. However, athletes who wish to pursue excellence must not be bound by such a sentiment toward losers and instead must ceaselessly strive to improve their own performance. Moreover, what impresses people in sport are overwhelming performa nces by athletes who are never satisfied with being on the same level as other athletes. Thus, I demonstrated that sport has unique structural aspects that generate discrimination that excepti onal athlete should not feel indebted to the losers.

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© 2019 Japan Society for the Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education
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