Thomas P. Oates is associate professor with the Department of American Studies and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. He is the author of Football and Manliness: An Unauthorized Feminist Account of the NFL and the editor (with Travis Vogan) of Sports, Power, and Resistance: An … Read more
Thirteen and a half years ago, I published my first article on KineSophy, an analysis of Albert Camus’s essay “The Myth of Sisyphus.” In his essay, Camus argued that Sisyphus’s fate of repeatedly pushing a boulder to the top of a hill for all eternity is not as bleak as … Read more
In KineSophy’s thirteen years, I’ve written extensively about the many benefits of exercise, interviewed leaders in the growing belief that physical activity is a form of medicine, and shared the latest research on how exercise benefits a host of health conditions. Most Americans understand that physical activity is beneficial. Yet … Read more
As a firm believer in the non-physical benefits of sports, I’m drawn to research which supports that stance. But even in a well-studied field, not all research stands on equal footing. In this article, I question the conclusions of a recent study and dig into what the evidence actually says … Read more
Two weekends ago, I watched my niece compete in the Missouri state high school track and field championships. As a graduated senior, it was the last competition of her high school career—and perhaps the last competition in this event in her life. Not surprisingly, she was a little emotional when … Read more
David Macfarlane is a journalist, playwright and novelist. His family memoir, The Danger Tree, was described by Christopher Hitchens as “one of the finest and most intriguing miniature elegies that I have read in many a year.” Macfarlane’s novel, Summer Gone, was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Based on The … Read more
Many contemporary philosophers question whether we have free will and moral responsibility. While it seems like we can choose whether to act morally, certain scientific evidence indicates that may not be true. However, research shows we can alter our breathing patterns, and in doing so, improve our moral decision-making. We … Read more
Raziq Rauf is a running coach and journalist who writes about all things running on his popular Substack ‘Running Sucks’. He has previously written for the BBC, the Guardian, NPR and Kerrang!. He lives in Los Angeles. His new book, This Is Running: A Celebration of the World of Running, … Read more
Last month, I drew on the work of philosophers Luce Irigaray and René Descartes to show the link between a breathing, physical body and ethical thought and concluded that breath is the foundation of ethics. But I think there’s more to this story. The way we breathe influences how we … Read more
I have devoted several previous KineSophy articles to arguing why and how physical fitness fits into a unifying ethical theory. All things being equal, it is better to be more physically fit than less—and not just because of the individual health benefits. Physical fitness gives an individual the capacity to … Read more