The meanings and significance of sport in Roger Cailloisʼ “Man, Play and Games”

Abstract

This study focused on Roger Cailloisʼ “Man, Play and Games” and aimed to examine the meanings and significances of sports in the context of this work.

In the field of physical education and sports studies, Cailloisʼ work has been frequently referenced as providing a theoretical basis for the definition of sports. Based on his description, several definitions have been presented, such as sports being play, or, more specifically, play with a competitive character. However, in the field of physical education and sports philosophy, the view that sports and play have a subsumption relationship has often been questioned. This paper attempts to answer a pertinent question, that is, what is sports according to Caillois?

To achieve this purpose, we reread Cailloisʼ work to better understand his logic. By focusing on terms, such as “sport (s)” or “sportif (ve) (s)”, we aimed to interpret each context where they are placed in relation to the theme of the work as a whole.

Findings revealed the following points.

Caillois does not consider sports as the subordinate concept of play. Rather, it is a concept that refers to the activities incarnated by the “agôn (competition)” that drives various activities not limited to play. In addition, he emphasized that sports plays a unique role in the process of transition to modern society or in modern society itself, as a model or norm for other activities, which cannot be replaced by others. It is for this reason that sports is repeatedly mentioned throughout his work, and not just in the taxonomy of play.