Nietzsche and Sport: an Odd Pairing (Pt2)? Dr Yunus Tuncel – Meaningful Sport Series

Nietzsche's thought has been applied to many aspects of culture (art, theatre, etc.) but less often on sport. Yunus Tuncel has identified numerous dimensions of Nietzsche’s work that can be applied to understanding the role of sport in human life.   

The second part of our discussion addresses a number of intriguing questions: What did Nietzsche mean by declaring that God is Dead? How can sport contribute to meaningful lives in this world where traditional values are no longer valid? Would Nietzsche find value in ultramarathons? What and who is an overhuman and can we identify them in sport?

As our guest explains, “we have some general understanding of what Nietzsche means by the overhuman. But when we get into the details, hell breaks loose. There are so many disagreements. Is the overhuman a historic figure? Can we say that such and such person is an overhuman? Most likely yes, I would say, otherwise it doesn’t make sense. Nietzsche is not an idealist (...) That is my reading.”

Dr Yunus Tuncel teaches Philosophy at The New School, New York, and in New York University’s Liberal Studies Programme. He is a co-founder of the Nietzsche Circle and a member of the Editorial Board of its journal The Agonist. Yunus is also the founder of Philomobile, which is a travel organisation offering trips to those interested in studying philosophy on the road (http://www.philomobile.com/).