Pierre de Coubertin's vision of the role of sport in peaceful internationalism

Abstract

This paper presents the topic of peacemaking in relation to the practice of sport within Olympism. It is based on the thinking of Pierre de Coubertin and his understanding of Olympism. First, it discusses the practice of sport in relation to two kinds of competition – excessive and moderate. Second, it identifies six key themes in the work of de Coubertin that help to promote moderate competition and that enable sport practice to be peace promoting. These are equality, amateurism, the importance of process and discipline, the role of knowledge of self and others and respect for others. An understanding of these themes can help to make the practice of sport more peaceful – and truly Olympic.

Acknowledgement

The article was written with support from a Research Grant from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports MSM 0021620864, Czech Republic; and institutional support PRVOUK P39.

Notes

¹ de Coubertin, ‘Ode to Sport’, 630.

² IOC, Olympic Charter, 11.

³ See, e.g. Georgiadis and Syrigos, Olympic Truce; see also the essay by Burleson in this issue.

⁴ Schantz, ‘Education Sportive’.

⁵ de Coubertin, ‘Physical Education in the 20th Century’, 161.

⁶ de Coubertin, ‘Why I Revived the Olympic Games’, 543.

⁷ de Coubertin, ‘Why I Revived the Olympic Games’, 544.

⁸ de Coubertin, ‘Why I Revived the Olympic Games’, 543–4, ‘The Philosophic Foundation of Modern Olympism’, 581.

⁹ See, e.g. Tuxill and Wigmore, ‘Merely Meat’.

¹⁰ de Coubertin, ‘Sport and the Social Issue’.

¹¹ Reid, ‘Olympic Sport’, 210.

¹² de Coubertin, ‘The Neo-Olympism’.

¹³ de Coubertin, ‘Why I Revived the Olympic Games’.

¹⁴ de Coubertin, ‘The Trustees of the Olympic Idea’, 589.

¹⁵ The Olympic Symbols , 5.

¹⁶ Cp. Loland, ‘The Logic of Progress’.

¹⁷ Cp. Hochstetler, ‘Process and the Sport Experience’.

¹⁸ de Coubertin, ‘Sport is a Peacemaker’, 241.

¹⁹ Cp. de Coubertin, ‘Philosophy of Physical Culture’, ‘Sport is a Peacemaker’.

²⁰ de Coubertin, ‘Philosophy of Physical Culture’, 163.

²¹ de Coubertin, ‘The Neo-Olympism’, 537.

²² Parry and Lucidarme, ‘Challenges of the Youth Olympic Games’.

²³ de Coubertin, ‘The Philosophic Foundation of Modern Olympism’, 583.

²⁴ de Coubertin, ‘The Philosophic Foundation of Modern Olympism’, 581.

²⁵ de Coubertin, ‘Philosophy of Physical Culture’, 165.

²⁶ Hyland, ‘Competition and Friendship’, 236.

²⁷ Kretchmar, ‘From Test to Contest’.

²⁸ de Coubertin, ‘The Neo-Olympism’, 537.

²⁹ de Coubertin, ‘The Neo-Olympism’, 537.

³⁰ Parry, ‘Sport and Olympism’, 195–6.

³¹ Cp. Naul, Olympic Education, 19–23; Girginov and Parry, The Olympic Games Explained, 227–33.

³² de Coubertin, ‘Address by Baron de Coubertin’, 243.