Could gamification present a significant topic for the philosophy of sport?

Authors

HURYCH Emanuel

Year of publication 2021
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Studia sportiva
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Sports Studies

Citation
Web https://journals.muni.cz/studiasportiva/article/view/14245
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/STS2021-1-5
Keywords Game; Gamification; Philosophy; Play; Sport
Description This article focuses on the phenomenon of gamification in the context of the philosophy of sport. Gamification is usually understood as a process of adding games or game-like elements to some activity in order to encourage participation. It takes the techniques that game designers use to engage players and applies them to motivate people in different spheres of our lives. It should be emphasized that gamification itself is not about games; it is not about the digital world, nor is it primarily about sport. However, it is a phenomenon that originated in the world of games and gained its content in the digital world. Gamification is also close to the phenomenon of play because it was invented by those people who were playing games. The main question asked in the text is whether gamification, although it is not primarily about games or sports, can be a crucial topic for the philosophy of sport. This article proposes some opportunities for philosophical approaches to gamification within kinanthropology. The ethical discourse is mentioned in the context of normative ethics. The ontological discourse is followed in the context of the digital world and the phenomenon of sportification. One of the possible areas of interest in the philosophy of sport can be presented by monitoring and scheduling endurance sports activities. This issue is developed within the article on the ontological level, especially. The sociologically based study about gamification-form-above and gamification-from-below by Woodcock and Johnson is examined via Patočka’s concept of three movements of human existence. It was included in the article mainly as an example to illustrate the great diversity of possible philosophical approaches. It appears that gamification in sport is rapidly spreading, and it will be examined within different empirical studies more and more. This article argues that this phenomenon is also an interesting topic for the philosophy of sport.

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