The Tendential Theory of Sporting Prowess

Abstract

The results of sport would not interest us if either they were necessitated or they were a matter of pure chance. And if either case were true, the playing of sport would seem to make no sense either. This poses a dilemma. But there is something between these two options, namely the dispositional modality. Sporting prowess can be understood as a disposition towards victory and sporting liabilities a disposition towards defeat. The sporting contest then pits these net prowesses against each other. The stronger will tend to beat the weaker but no more than tend. This makes sense of the sporting contest in which the weaker knows they still can win. The stronger team can lose though they do not tend to do so. The dilemma is thus escaped.

Keywords:

• dispositionality
• modality
• free will
• agency
• luck
• chance
• necessity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen Mumford

University of Nottingham, Philosophy, Nottingham, United Kingdom and Norwegian University of Life Science, Economics and Business, Aas, Norway. Email: [email protected]

Rani Lill Anjum

Norwegian University of Life Science, Economics and Business, Aas, Norway