It is estimated that more than one billion people around the world are watching this year’s World Cup football tournament in South Africa. Billed as “the biggest sporting event in the world&rdquo, it has produced a bonanza for the multinational corporations which sponsor it.

While many people are aware and criticize the commercialization of mass sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, few understand the role that sport plays as a fundamental keystone to the global capitalist order.

I recently spoke with Ljubodrag Simonovic about the role sport plays under capitalism. Simonovic is not what one expects of a philosopher. He was a star player for the national basketball team of Yugoslavia in the early 1970s. He quit the team after walking out of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich to protest the use of doping by the Puerto Rico team. Since then, Simonovic earned his Doctorate in Philosophy. One rarely equates athletes with philosophers, let alone intellectuals which makes his theories all the more compelling.

Simonovic is the author of two recent books: The Philosophy of Olympisim and A New World Is Possible. Sport is central to his philosophical critique against capitalism.

DK: Many people are aware of the corporatization of sport but you take the argument even further. You say that sport is essential to capitalism. Can you elaborate?

LS: Sport is a capitalist competition. Not every historical form of competition is sport, but the one which is the embodiment of the Social Darwinist principle bellum omnium contra omnes and the absolutized principle of the quantitatively measurable performance shaped in the Olympic maxim citius, altius, fortius – which corresponds to the market economy and the absolutized principle of profit. Just as capitalism is essentially different from the Hellenic slave-owning and feudal order, so is sport essentially different from the ancient agon and knight tournaments. The Olympic Games were an authentic play of the aristocratic Hellas; knight tournaments were an authentic play of feudalism; sport is an authentic play of capitalism. The theory of sport reduces sport to a supra-historical phenomenon the essence of which comes from the &ldquounchangeable human nature“, whereas man is reduced to a “beast“ and human society to a “civilized&rdquo menagerie. However, individual competition (achievement), which is based on the principle of “Equal chances!&rdquo, is a historical product and corresponds to the original spirit of capitalism (liberalism) which atomizes society according to the principle homo homini lupus. The elimination of the “opponent&rdquo through victory achieved by an ever better result (record) becomes a capitalist form of a (&ldquocivilized“) natural selection. “Primitive peoples&rdquo do not know of individual competition and individual achievement, nor do they know of the principle of record. The same applies to the Hellenic society: man is a member of polis and “God’s toy“ (Plato). The purpose of competition is not a record but a victory achieved by the Olympic agonistes as the “gods’ electee&rdquo which gives him the possibility of acquiring a place on Olympus among the immortal Olympic oligarchy.

DK: Can you give a quick summary of the history of sport under capitalism compared to earlier periods of history?

LS: The history of sport is the history of capitalism. In its original sense the term “sport“ (since 1828, before that desport, desportare) does not denote a competition dominated by the cult of victory and the cult of record, but a pastime, a voluntary participation in the activities designed to act out the aristocratic way of life through a symbolism and forms of behaviour deriving from the aristocratic world, and which are the embodiment of the aristocratic system of values expressed in the principle &ldquoorder and measure“ (ordre et mesure). “Sport&rdquo was a privilege of the aristocracy through which its exclusive ruling class status was confirmed, which means that it was not a way of integrating the working &ldquomasses“ into a spiritual orbit of the ruling class, as it was to become in the bourgeois society. It was not dominated by a fight for victory through the elimination of the opponent nor by the idea of progress, but by such a way of behaviour (“gentleman’s manners&rdquo) which distinguishes the members of the aristocracy from the “lower classes&rdquo. Likewise, the original concept of &ldquosport“, as an entertainment, is not derived from the relation to work and the “world of concerns” it rather denotes the lifestyle of aristocracy as the parasitic class. It is only in the developed capitalist society that the term “sport“ came to designate the “independent&rdquo spirit of capitalism which is the embodiment of the principles bellum omnium contra omnes and citius, altius, fortius and appears as the sphere of “freedom&rdquo opposite to work. As far as the principle of “chivalry“ is concerned, which is used by the ideologues of sport in order to give it a “cultural“ legitimacy, in its original sense it corresponds to a static aristocratic order in which the dominant social status is not acquired by a merciless struggle for survival, as it is the case in capitalism, but by birth.

DK: You write that sport is a representation of Anti-Enlightenment thought. How is that so?

LS: Sport acquired its institutional character in the second half of the 19th century and represents a way of dealing with the leading ideas of the French Revolution, critical rationalism, emancipatory possibilities of the newly formed democratic institutions, as well as with the philanthropic and dancing movements. It is not a product of an advanced bourgeoisie which, inspired by the spirit of the Enlightenment and ideals of the French Revolution, strives to create a new society, but of the imperialist circles which strive to deal with the emancipatory heritage of the 19th century civil society and conquer the world. The “international sport&rdquo is an expression of the “mondialist“ spirit of imperialism and as such rejection of the cultural (religious) being of the ancient Olympic Games, as well as of the Olympic ideas and movements of the Modern Age – which are based on the Hellenic spiritual heritage, national cultures and the emancipatory heritage of civil society.

DK: Many people believe that major sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cup are avenues to promote world peace. For example, after the conclusion of these tournaments, the host country and host cities fly the Rainbow Peace flag. Can you explain exactly how sport encourages war and is in fact, the antithesis of peace?

LS: In its original form, sport does not rely on bodily activism which is supposed to enhance the development of working or artistic capacities, but on the “chivalrous tradition&rdquo which is of a belligerent character. Sports contests represent a war not waged by weapons, but by the bodies of &ldquoopponents“, and thus are a struggle with the pacifist conscious and preparation for an armed conflict. Hence the ruthless “rivalry&rdquo, which involves the ability and readiness to kill the opponent, represents the main characteristic of sports “brotherhood&rdquo. Sports terminology indicates its essence: sports contests which do not involve elimination are called “friendly&rdquo, which means that the competitions in which the victory is an imperative – are hostile. The natural selection being the carrier of &ldquoprogress“, it is understandable why the bourgeois theorists speak of war with such enthusiasm: they regard it as the highest and the most direct form of the law of natural selection. From Coubertin’s Olympic doctrine it clearly follows that sport belongs to the sphere of war and military training and that it is the main vehicle for dealing with the pacifist conscious. The view of Carl Diem, a loyal interpreter of Coubertin’s doctrine and one of the leading ideologues of German (Nazi) expansionism: “Sport is war!&rdquo (&ldquoSport ist Krieg!“), most adequately expresses the essence of sport. It should not be forgotten that Coubertin started the Olympic campaign with an overt aim to effect changes in the French education system, in order to transform the French bourgeois youth into colonial phalanges. A colonial campaign &ldquowithout proper sports preparations“ represents, according to Coubertin, “dangerous unmindfulness&rdquo. It is no wonder that England, as the leading colonial power, where there is place only for “strong individuals&rdquo, was the main source of Coubertin’s Olympic inspiration. Furthermore, it is no wonder that Coubertin, in the bloody fights on ancient Olympic playgrounds and medieval tournaments of haughty aristocrats found a source of the “chivalry spirit&rdquo which a bourgeois should strive for. War on a sports field was meant to preserve the militaristic traditions of the warring aristocracy and &ldquoovercome“ them by a belligerent and progressistic spirit of monopolistic capitalism. The ability to “look death in the eyes&rdquo, which appears in the form of a man reduced to &ldquoopponent“, is one of the most important characteristics of Coubertin’s “new man&rdquo, while the ability and readiness to kill a man represents the highest challenge for his “utilitarian pedagogy&rdquo.

DK: Besides profit and money, how does capitalism benefit from sport?

LS: In sport, the belligerent spirit of capitalism becomes “independent&rdquo and, by way of “sports competition“, strives to resurrect the spirit of the ancient slave-owning aristocracy, as well as the “chivalry spirit&rdquo of the bloodthirsty medieval lords. The militarization of the body, spirit, human relations and the relations between nations and races is the highest &ldquocultural“ form in which the ruling belligerent spirit appears. In antiquity, in the form of the struggle of individuals for acquiring a place on Olympus the ruling class struggled to preserve its privileges; in modern society, in the guise of a sports competition, the parasitic classes struggle against the emancipatory heritage of humankind and man as the universal creative being of freedom. A sports competition becomes a combat with a competition which does not involve elimination and domination of one man over another, particularly with a competition which involves the development of man’s universal creative powers and offers the possibility of overcoming the existing and creating a new world. In sport, there is no outplaying; it is rather that the contest comes down to a struggle for survival and domination which is completely in line with the dominant spirit of capitalism: the stronger go on, the weaker are eliminated. The purpose of sport is not the development of play, but the preservation of the ruling order.

DK: I have always considered sport serves to distract people from the social and political system of oppression and repression. What do you think about that?

LS: Interestingly, it does not occur to the bourgeois theorists – according to whom gladiator’s fights, knight tournaments, duels and war are “competition&rdquo – to refer to the class struggle, struggle for womens emancipation, struggle for liberation from the colonial yoke and particularly revolution – as “competition&rdquo. Likewise, in spite of the fact that they emphasize the struggle, it does not occur to them to include in the concept of play the struggle between old and new which involves the expansion of the horizon of freedom – without which there is no true play. Basically, the purpose of competitive play is not the development of the human, but the release of &ldquonegative energy“ so as to prevent it from being channeled into a political struggle aiming to eradicate the causes of social hardship. Play becomes the sterilization of a critical and changing conscious. In Russell, also, competition does not involve a struggle against the unjust and destructive ruling order, meaning a struggle for freedom and survival; a struggle between old and new; between good and evil; the development of man’s artistic (erotic) nature – it rather involves a struggle against nature, which means the acquisition of technical skills the purpose of which is to establish control over nature and its exploitation.

DK: Can you elaborate what is the ideology of sport within contemporary capitalist society?

LS: Sport is an authentic ideology of liberalism: the cult of victory and record was a form in which appeared the myth of capitalism as an order in which “Everyone has a chance!&rdquo and which is capable of providing a stable progress that inevitably brings good to the citizens in every aspect of their lives, which is expressed in the maxim “Competition generates quality!&rdquo In monopolistic capitalism, based on the principles “Destroy the competition!&rdquo and “Big fish devours small fish!&rdquo, sport has become an anachronism which maintains the appearance of a “competitive society“ and as such is destined to degeneration. Instead of a “personal initiative&rdquo and &ldquoindividual achievement“, the competition of sportsmen becomes a form of struggle between the most powerful capitalist groups for domination – by means of a dehumanized science, medicine, technique … The principle of competition has become the principle of domination, the latter being the principle of destruction. In a “consumer’s society&rdquo the original sports spirit has become completely distorted and sport has turned into a banal circus performance governed by the rules of show-business. In his original Olympic writings, Coubertin indicates where professionalism and commercialization of sport lead to. According to him, “money is the biggest enemy of sport&rdquo, as it turns sport into a “fairground&rdquo, and (professional) sportsmen into “circus gladiators“. Similar views were expressed by his followers from IOC. Contemporary sports theorists, talking of “original&rdquo Olympism, never cite these Coubertin’s views, as they reveal the true nature of sport and thus the true nature of their “theoretic&rdquo activity.

DK: Then how did money come to dominate sport if Coubertin believed “money is the biggest enemy of sport&rdquo?

LS: Strivings for records condition a specific (concrete historical) nature of sports competitions. A victory over the opponents is worthless without setting a record. It becomes a universal measure, alienated from man, for determining the performance (value), which means a peculiar &ldquosuperior power“ to which man is submitted. A record is the market value of a sports result, and the prevailing logic in sport corresponds to the process of the reproduction of capital: the apsolutized principle of record corresponds to the apsolutized principle of profit. The increasing domination of the apsolutized principle of performance in sport has led to a gradual elimination of combative individualism, the corner-stone of the ideology of liberalism. It has nothing to do with the struggle between people for victory, but with a contest without contestants, where man fights “phantom&rdquo records incarnated in the measuring instruments which are the symbols of a dehumanized and denaturalized “pace&rdquo of the capitalist time. The history of the ancient Olympic Games is a succession of winners; the history of sport comes down to a linear increment of numbers to which the names of depersonalized “recorders&rdquo are assigned. The absolutized performance (record) acquires a mythical dimension: sports &ldquoachievements“ become the measure of “progress“ and “perfectioning&rdquo of humankind and thus historical milestones. Simultaneously, the quantitative comparison becomes an “objective&rdquo criterion for the distribution of positions on the social ladder of power, which appears in the form of Arnold’s elitist “theory of pyramid&rdquo that Coubertin was to adopt: a hundred people should devote themselves to physical culture if fifty of them are to engage in sport; fifty people are to engage in sport if twenty of them are to specialize; twenty people are to specialize if five of them are to become capable of “astonishing bravery&rdquo (prouesse étonnante). The pyramid of success indicates a hierarchy of “natural selection&rdquo in sport and a mechanistic logic of “contest&rdquo which corresponds to the market “competition&rdquo and “industrial society&rdquo. The qualitative measurement becomes a form of domination of “progress&rdquo over man confirming its superiority and eternity. It is not a historical product, but a “fact&rdquo which cannot be brought into question and thus is an instrument for training the oppressed how to accept inequality in society as something inevitable. At the same time, a record is not important as a human achievement, but as a means of proving the &ldquoprogressive“ nature of the ruling order. As there are no medical or moral barriers to the progressistic principle citius, altius, fortius, it is clear that man’s “perfectioning&rdquo leads to his (self) destruction. Sport crushes the modern (humanistic) idea of progress which involves qualitative leaps in the development of society, the affirmation of man as a being of freedom and the creation of a novum. It enables only (endless) quantitative shifts, advancing in the given spatial and time dimensions, which involves progressing without a progress.

DK: Many intellectuals aren’t interested in sport. Indeed, sport appears to be the epitome of anti-intellectualism. How do you see sports vis-à-vis the degradation of the human intellect?
LS: In sport, there is an evident distinction between intellectual and physical labour, as well as specialization (at an increasingly early age). Each sport has a specific training technique, which means that each sport in a specific way cripples people both mentally and physically and turns them into specialized sportsmen-recorders. The one-sided sports activity leads to the hypertrophy of some and atrophy of other extremities, organs, bodily and mental functions. A sportsmen becomes a specific working force (a self-destructive character), a tool for labour (highly specialized machine) and material for processing (body as a raw material) – for producing a particular record. The bigger the gap between man’s biological powers and the record that must be reached, the more the sports training contributes to man’s self-alienation as a human being and the destruction of his individual dispositions and abilities. Based on the absolutized principle of performance, sport turned a healthy physical strain into an exertion that destroys man as a living being. A sportsman becomes a robot and as such a commodity on the market of sports show-business, while &ldquosports technique“ becomes a technical form of the destruction of man’s natural and cultural being. The methods and means applied in sport are those used in the industrial production and modern science: sport is an engine for the production of recorders (records). The maxim &ldquoRecorders are born in vials!“ suggests the real nature of &ldquotop sport“ which is, as its name suggests, the highest challenge for sport generally. Behind technical terms and scientific formulations an industry of death is hiding: “top sport“ has become a supreme form of man’s destruction. Sport is a means by which man, as a biological and human being, turns into a mechanical device. At the same time, it brings about an ecocide conscious and ecocide relation of man to his (her) own body. The “competitive mind&rdquo becomes a form of irrational processes of the capitalist reproduction which, by way of a “sports spirit“, are infused into man. The “aggressive animal nature&rdquo is replaced by a self-destructive fanaticism.

DK: You write that sport is the religion of capitalism. Specifically, you describe it as the cult of the body. Can you elaborate?

LS: The dominant cult in sport is the cult of the body and muscular strength which is expressed in Coubertin’s maxim “combative spirit in a muscular body&rdquo (mens fervida in corpore lacertoso). While in the ancient bodily agon there is a spontaneous relation of man to the body, which arises from the body being experienced as a constituent part of the universe and the source of man’s vital energy, sport is dominated by an instrumental relation of man to the body. Everything is submitted to a modeling based on the capitalistically (ab) used technique and science: just as in antiquity the physical appearance was meant to be united with the (geometrically constituted) universe, so is in the modern world the physical appearance meant to be united with the Social Darwinist and progressistic spirit of capitalism. Also, in sport, the cult of the body has nothing to do with a broader religious context, as it was the case in antiquity, but is a means of creating a positive character and positive conscious, as well as a means of demonstrating the expansionist power of capitalism. In sport, unlike the gods in antiquity, there are no anthropomorphic symbols representing the dominant power. That role is assumed by sportsmen, and their body and appearance are completely subjected to the nature of the ruling order. Instead of the ancient holistic approach to the body, the emphasis is placed on the expansive muscular strength and mechanization of the body. In sport, man fits in with the capitalist universe by way of the body and bodily posture which is in accordance with the dynamic and progressistic nature of capitalism. The “sports spirit“ is a manifest form of the expansionist spirit of the ruling order, while the “sport body&rdquo represents the most authentic capitalist form of physical degeneration and thus is a “supraclass&rdquo and “supraracial&rdquo model of the body. It is an ideological body which expresses the totalitarian and ecocide nature of the ruling order. A dehumanized and denaturalized world, based on the capitalist destruction, corresponds to a dehumanized and denaturalized body and a destructive body movement.

DK: A recurrent theme in your writings on sport is about turning humanity into robots. It’s obvious that over the past 35 years, capitalism has propagated the ideology of “The Man Machine&rdquo within popular culture. In the 1970s, it was bionic men and women, in the 1980s, it was the cyborg. Over the past 15 years, the breathtaking growth and expansion of cyberspace has accelerated this process. What is the relation between sport and the mechanization of human beings into robotic machines?

LS: Sport is an area in which the technicization of the environment, man and interpersonal relations attained the climax. It is one of the most important instruments of capitalism for destroying a humanistic and creating a&rdquo Technical civilization&rdquo. “Sportivization&rdquo of the world is the most radical form of man’s denaturalization and decultivization and a means of his being involved in the life and spiritual orbit of “technical civilization&rdquo. Science strives to create a being (machine) which will be deprived of all those human qualities that hinder the breaking of records and the production of increasingly bloody sports spectacles. Sport draws on a mechanistic philosophy of the body and finds mimetic impulses in the industrial and militaristic movements. Instead of a natural movement and natural body, the prevailing movement is mechanistic, the body becomes the cage of technical rationality, while the “competitive character“ becomes the embodiment of the ruling destructive spirit. Coaches become body technicians and slave drivers who are to enable the achievement of a desired result (record) at the cost of man’s destruction. At the same time, man’s spirit is also being crippled and the cult of a technicized body is being created and thus the cult of a “technical civilization&rdquo. This way of thinking absolutizes the quantitatively measurable result achieved at the cost of the destruction of man’s natural being. Sport creates a capitalist ideological sphere and the appropriate “public opinion&rdquo by destroying the emancipatory heritage of the civil society which offers an opportunity for man to get rid of the ecocide capitalist tyranny.

DK: Can you give some examples of how sport is used to achieve the frightening goals you have just highlighted?

LS: “Disciplining&rdquo the body in the bourgeois physical culture and sport reflects an endeavour to bring nature under control of the ruling order: “Taming&rdquo of the body corresponds to the “taming&rdquo of nature. Sport does not cultivate man’s natural being, but “disciplines&rdquo it through a technocratically based drill dominated by the mechanics of the physical, turning the body into a machine. In contrast to the Middle Ages, where dealing with the body becomes dealing with the “false&rdquo earthly world, the bourgeois pedagogy suppresses and destroys in man all those things that do not fulfil the needs of the capitalist order and can jeopardize it, and develops all those things that contribute to the preservation of that order. Hence, Coubertin insists on a “utilitarian pedagogy&rdquo: the “good&rdquo is that which is useful to the ruling order. An aggressive belligerent (“healthy&rdquo) egoism, an insatiable “need&rdquo for acquisition and ruling (oppression) – those are the “true&rdquo characteristics of a “model&rdquo bourgeoisie. Coubertin’s principle of “greater effort&rdquo, which conditions a relentless relation of man to his body and to which, in the psychological sphere corresponds the principle of “greediness&rdquo, is analogous to a colonial-plundering relation to nature. The “development of sport&rdquo is based on an ecocide logic: the physical drill destroys the body, which is for man his immediate nature, and thus breaks man’s connection with nature and makes life in nature impossible. The technicized living conditions, which means capitalistically degenerated nature, become man’s living environment he “spontaneously&rdquo strives for and in which he can survive. Sport clearly illustrates the fact that the capitalist way of production does not turn nature into useful objects but degenerates and destroys it: the relation to the body reflects the relation of capitalism to nature. In sport, the capitalist exploitation of nature is fully realized, according to the principle of an ever better result (profit) in an ever shorter time. On this the principle of early selection is based, the principle which cripples the body, destroys man’s erotic nature, his mind and spirituality, and creates a sado-masochistic character. In the contemporary world (“consumer society&rdquo), the sports body has become an instrument for producing a sports spectacle, meaning a spiritual drug, and a moving advertising billboard.

DK: In your book, The Philosophy of Olympism, you refer repeatedly of sport being connected to the militarization of society. How does sport develop a militarized society?
LS: Sporting physical drill involves a modeling of the body according to progressistic (quantitative) criteria which lead to man’s (self) destruction. The highest challenge is to reach the given “model&rdquo of the body which is the projection of the result (record) striven for. Instead by art and naturalness, sport is dominated by technique which involves an instrumentalized body reduced to a technical device and technicized skill conditioned by the nature of sport and the achieved “level&rdquo of results. Man is reduced to a tool for the production of records, and his body to a raw material which, through physical drill and scientific methods, is to be “transformed&rdquo into a “sport body&rdquo. In sport, the ruling model of the body is not appropriate to a particular cultural pattern; it is a direct incarnation of the ruling relations and values: a sportsman is an anthropological form in which the ruling order appears. Like in antiquity, the citizen of modern society is to completely fit into the established (capitalist) universe; he is to be spiritually, physically and actively united with it. Sports esthetics does not derive from culture; it is based on the nature of sport as a war waged with bodies, on the strivings to set a record and on the nature of spectacle – which is a commercial package of sports merchandize. The holistic approach to the body has been discarded (proportionality, harmony), as well as the softness of movements and bodily expression, the pulsation of the erotic, emotional and spiritual, the movement of man to man and the ancient kalokagathia which insists on the unity of the beautiful and the good. Mimetic impulses are not found in nature nor in the cultural sphere, but in technical processes: technical “perfection&rdquo represents the highest challenge for sports esthetics. It is corresponded by a body reduced to a highly specialized machine, mechanics of movement, technicized (ecocide) mind, a suppressed and mutilated Eros, as well as man’s crippled emotional and spiritual being. The mutilated bodies of contemporary gladiators become the highest attainment of the “beautiful&rdquo.

DK: There’s a contradiction in the philosophy of sport. On one hand, it espouses the “cult of the body&rdquo, while on the other hand sport destroys the body.

LS: The body is not a form of man’s existence as an independent being, his possession; it is an instrument for achieving political and economic goals. Within this context, man’s relation to his own body is mediated by the ruling ideology. The alienation of the body from man becomes man’s alienation from his own self. “Disciplining&rdquo of the body, the maxims mens sana in corpore sano, mens fervida in corpore lacertoso and citius-altius-fortius – represent the forms of establishing an institutionalized oppression over man which means not only a destructive instrumentalization of the body, but the destruction of personality. Instead of a respect for man’s specific individuality and his human complexity, the priority is given to a dehumanized (destructive) principle of performance and the appropriate model of man. The one-sided oppressive physical activity creates a physically one-sided and spiritually mutilated man. In contrast to the sophists, who by human nature mean the “unity of the body and the soul but, above all, man’s internal disposition, his spiritual nature&rdquo, in sport, just as in Christianity, the dualism of the body and the spirit is established. Instead of a “divine spirit&rdquo, sport is dominated by the spirit of capitalism incarnated in sportsman’s muscular body in combatant effort, but, instead of the soul, the character (sado-masochistic, murderous-destructive) becomes the meeting point and support of man’s governing spirit. In sport, man is reduced to a depersonalized model of “sportsman&rdquo, which means that he is deprived of elementary humanity, thus becoming part of the “team&rdquo of capitalist gladiators, stunt men and circus players. He does not regard his fellow sportsman as a man, but as an “opponent&rdquo who should be removed from the way. Physical injuries and killing become a legal and legitimate form of “relation“ to the “opponent&rdquo. The same applies to man’s relation to his own body. Torturing of the body and its destruction is the basic way of achieving “victory over the body (pain)&rdquo, which gives rise to a (sado) masochistic character and “victorious will&rdquo. Man is reduced to the body, while strength, speed, stamina, killing and destructive power (skill) become the basic way of his self-evaluation. Sportsmen turn from living beings into robotized beings guided by a (self) destructive fanaticism. At the same time, in sport man is subject to an authoritarian order and is accustomed to “responding to a whistle“ – without reasoning. The “golden rule&rdquo of every coach is that “players do not think, but do what they are asked to do&rdquo. A sports training does not serve to cultivate man, it mutilates humanity. It is reduced to a technical drill which resembles a military drill, the difference being that in sport the ruling principle is not that of the optimal but of a “greater (destructive) effort&rdquo.

DK: There’s something I’ve observed in all sports and that is the manipulation of sexuality. There’s quite a bit of eroticism within sport. Granted, most of it is homoerotic. For example, one often sees male players patting each other’s behinds. In basketball, many women spectators attend just to see the exposed bodies of the male players. In tennis, the most popular women champions are the ones with the shortest and most revealing skirts. What’s the relation between sexuality and sport?

LS: Sport deprives man of his erotic nature. A man and a woman are not sexual (natural, affective, human) beings; they are raw materials and tools for setting records. “Specificity&rdquoof the woman’s body is that it is “weaker’ than man’s, which means that it achieves “poorer’results. If life-creation is the basic existential principle, then precisely by virtue of her body the woman is superior to man since she possesses a life-creating (fertile) body. By accepting the governing evaluative model as the basis of her own evaluation, the woman renounces that which makes her a specific human being and reduces herself to an “inferior being&rdquo, a surrogate, or a bad copy of man reduced to a robotized gladiator. Sports pedagogy deals with Eros which induces man to develop his affective nature and closeness with other people, and turns his energy into the driving force of “progress&rdquo: a muscular male body in combatant effort, as a symbolic form of the governing spirit, is the highest sporting challenge. Love destroys the fanatic concentration of a sportsman on achieving victory (record) and thus changes his relation to the body of the beloved person, as well as to his own body. It ceases to be a machine and becomes an erotic challenge – a source of pleasure, and thus questions training that mercilessly destroys the organism, doping-treatments which decrease sexual potency, as well as the (self) destructive “competitive motivation&rdquo.

DK: Can you speak of the debilitating effects sport has on the health of athletes?

LS: On the example of bodily exertion we can also see how untenable is Plessner’s, Habermas’ and Rigauer’s theses that sport is the “duplication of the world of labour&rdquo. Labour is dominated by the principle of optimal effort, while sport is dominated by the principle of “greater effort&rdquo which basically means a merciless destruction of organism – based on the apsolutized principle of performance. The rhythm and intensity of sports exertion destroy the biological rhythm of organism. Sport abolishes the distinction between tiredness and over fatigue – which is a pathological state of organism. “To increase physical fitness&rdquo involves suffering and blocking of pain which is organism’s natural defence reaction to excessive exertion. Cells are destroyed as well as muscles, spine, heart, joints, liver, and this results in a functional and constitutional disharmony of the body and organs, some extremities, organs and functions of organism are hypertrophied and some are atrophied…

DK: There have been hundreds of sport related deaths over the decades, which have received very little attention. Athletes have not only died on the field but also off the field. There is a popular belief that an “athletic&rdquo body is the healthiest. You obviously show the opposite. An athletic body is actually the unhealthiest.

LS: Sport is a capitalist way of producing physically and mentally ill people. In the beginning of the XX century, the French physician Phillip Tissié, who analyzed the functioning of organism of long-distance runners, came to the conclusion that excessive physical exertion led to the degeneration of cells, and that the sportsman is a chronically ill person. Sports physicians do not struggle for a healthy man, but for the creation of a “sport body&rdquo and its “servicing&rdquo. What is a pathological state for “ordinary people&rdquo, for sportsmen is a “normal state&rdquo. Special terms have been coined, such as a “sport heart&rdquo, turning chronically ill sportsmen into “supermen&rdquo. Off course, this applies only while the medals are being won. Physicians take active part in this physical and mental destruction of people. A typical example is the medical report on the West-German heptathlon contestant Birgit Dressel. In spite of being “a hundred percent healthy&rdquo, Dressel died of “toxemia&rdquo in agony. She was 27 years old. No one was held responsible. That is how life of sportsmen ends throughout the world… Coaches ruin the lives of a large number of children in their preadolescent and adolescent period. The most obvious example is gymnastics, where little girls are monstrously degenerated. As far as sports injuries are concerned, only rugby in the USA records 650 000 seriously injured people annually. It is estimated that most orthopedists in the West earn their livings on “correcting&rdquo the consequences of injuries incurred in sport activities.

End Part 1