Running and Philosophy

A unique anthology of essays exploring the philosophical wisdom runners contemplate when out for a run. It features writings from some of America’s leading philosophers, including Martha Nussbaum, Charles Taliaferro, and J.P. Moreland.

• A first-of-its-kind collection of essays exploring those gems of philosophical wisdom runners contemplate when out for a run
• Topics considered include running and the philosophy of friendship; the freedom of the long distance runner; running as aesthetic experience, and “Could a Zombie Run a Marathon?”
• Contributing essayists include philosophers with athletic experience at the collegiate level, philosophers whose pasttime is running, and one philosopher who began running to test the ideas in his essay

Foreword (Amby Burfoot, Executive Editor, Runner’s World magazine, and 1968 Boston Marathon Champion).

Preface: Warming Up Before the Race.

Acknowledgments.

1. Long-Distance Running and the Will to Power (Raymond Angelo Belliotti, State University of New York at Fredonia).

2. Chasing Happiness Together: Running and the Philosophy of Friendship (Michael W. Austin, Eastern Kentucky University).

3. Running With the Seven Cs of Success (Gregory Bassham, King’s College, Pennsylvania).

4. The Phenomenology of Becoming a Runner (J. Jeremy Wisnewski, Hartwick College).

5. In Praise of the Jogger (Raymond J. VanArragon, Bethel University).

6. Running Religiously (Jeffrey P. Fry, Ball State University).

7. Hash Runners and Hellenistic Philosophers (Richard DeWitt, Fairfield University).

8. What Motivates an Early Morning Runner (Kevin Kinghorn, Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford).

9. A Runner’s Pain (Chris Kelly, University of Maryland).

10. Performance-Enhancement and the Pursuit of Excellence (William P. Kabasenche, Washington State University).

11. The Freedom of the Long-Distance Runner (Heather L. Reid, Morningside College).

12. Existential Running (Ross C. Reed, Rhodes College).

13. Can We Experience Significance on a Treadmill? (Douglas R. Hochstetler, Penn State University, Lehigh Valley).

14. Running in Place or Running in Its Proper Place (J. P. Moreland, Biola University).

15. The Running Life: Getting in Touch with Your Inner Hunter-Gatherer (Sharon Kaye, John Carroll University).

16. John Dewey and the Beautiful Stride: Running as Aesthetic Experience (Christopher Martin, Institute of Education, University of London).

17. Where the Dark Feelings Hold Sway: Running to Music (Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago).

18. The Power of Passion on Heartbreak Hill (Michelle Maiese, Emmanuel College).

19. The Soul of the Runner (Charles Taliaferro and Rachel Traughber, St. Olaf College).

Index.

"With equal measures of scholarship and soul, the essays in Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind, edited by Michael W. Austin, touch on religion, pain, happiness, and other topics that are best explored on a long run. With a pack of philosophers." (Runner's World, November 2007)

"The contributors are runners who approach the subject of running and philosophy sympathetically…there is enough in [the book] to the get the inner dialogue started." (Orange Community News)

Michael W. Austin is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University. A member of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport, Austin has been published in Journal for the Philosophy of Sport, Southwest Philosophy Review, The Journal of Value Inquiry, Philosophy and Theology, and International Philosophical Quarterly. He is also the author of Conceptions of Parenthood: Ethics and the Family (2007). Running is not just a physical activity — it is also a reflective endeavor. With the wind at your back and ribbons of roadway in front of you, there is ample time to think about life’s big questions.

This first-of-its kind volume brings together some of today’s leading philosophers to address such questions as:

• What is the relationship between success in running and success in life?
• What can we learn from pain?
• Is running a religion?
• How does running fit into the pursuit of a meaningful life?
• What is the connection between running, friendship, and happiness?

The combination of running and philosophy can help us achieve a goal we all share, reflected in the words of eminent Enlightenment philosopher John Locke: "A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this world."

"[T]here is much potential for the essays in Running and Philosophy to spark lively discussions among readers, [and] the impressive variety of topics…is enough for nearly anyone with a modicum of interest in both running and philosophy to justify reading it. In fact, I think this book is required reading for all those who find themselves with this combination of interests."
–Thomas E. Gilbert, Sport, Ethics and Philosophy

"Every runner who has ever pondered the pleasure of pain, wondered about the duality of mind and body, or felt the artistic beauty of a perfect set of 800m repeats will enjoy this book."
–Jonathan Beverly, Running Times

"Is running more a disease or a source of human liberation? Would Aristotle and Nietzsche both endorse running? Does running on a treadmill dehumanize us? For answers to these and other intriguing questions, you will need to read Running and Philosophy. It leads one on a rich, varied, and enjoyable journey."
–R. Scott Kretchmar, Penn State University