On The Selection Of Sport's Value

Sport, as a kind of social phenomena, can survive to the present, prosperalong with human civilization all the time and affect the worldcomprehensively all because of its virtual utility that can satisfyindividual and social development. This virtual utility actually issport's value. Sport's value is not only the base of sport's existencebut also the core of sport's culture. Knowing things' value can budgethings' development. So knowing sport's value in the new era is theimpetus that pushes sport's development. Society requires more of sportin our days, looking into sport's value can help us adjust our view onsport, cultivate sport consciousness, renew and enrich sport's means.Sport in the new era needs not only to inherit tradition but also toinnovate. Comprehensively understand sport's value and its scientificand humanistic meaning, and catch the basic law of the realization ofsport's value is the infallible way in realizing sport's value in moderntimes. This paper takes Marx's dialects and its practice materialism as thephilosophical foundation, methods of etymology investigation, documentsummery, comparison and analysis and history research as research methods,former scholar's research results an the basis, and carries on a researchon the problem on value and its selection . Following historicaldevelopment, the paper discusses much of the function that sports playin nowadays when sports take the form of a life style;it also analyzesthe deep reason for the phenomena on results over performance. This papercontends that the root of the contemporary emphasis on results lies inthe explosion of rationality and objectivity that characterizes theEnlightenment. The paper includes five parts: The first part: some definitions concerned in this paperThe operational definitions of value, value conceptions and valueselection are given by using the viewpoint of "dialogue" inphilosophy and related material, so as to lay a foundation for thelatter exposition and formulation.The second part: The relationship between sport's functions andits valueAt present there lack of clear understanding and judgment on therelationship between sport's functions and its value in sport world,many people equal sport's functions to its value. The author of thispaper formulates and clarifies this problem from a new perspective.The third part: the kinds of sport's valueThis paper first divides sport's value into two kinds from theperspective of philosophy. And then talks about sport's contributionto the realization of good life in the aspects of: fitness, knowledge,skill, and pleasure. After analyzing their extrinsic and intrinsicvalues one by one, this paper prioritizes their overall values.The fourth part: Sport's value selectionDifferent social stage's value takes on different historical traits.These traits show either advantages or disadvantages, so we can notabstractly say some specific value selection good or bad, but can onlydiscuss whether it's appropriate under certain condition. China'sunique history, culture determines its unique sport orientation.The fifth part: Commend of contemporary sport's valueThe flow of thought and social development since Enlightenment hasbeen the promotion of the individual's position and theobjectification of values. One of the influences on sport is that todaymuch of the sport world looks for objective criteria;the test ofathletic excellence lies in the numbers on the scoreboard. The victoryis seen as being more important than the way in which it is achieved;quality of performance is secondary to the results. After collectingand analyzing data and materials, this paper analyzes the causes: theroot of the contemporary emphasis on results lies in the explosion ofrationality and objectives of Enlightenment. Instrumental valuesdominate contemporary society and the value of things in them hasbecome an outdated concept.Conclusion based on the above discussion:(1) The profession of sport should tilt toward human growth andeducation;its extrinsic value should be sport's value orientation ,not other utility services.(2) People's values are not unchangeable, but change all the timealong with social conditions. People's value selection over socialdevelopment is actually the times' demands. People's sport valueselection is also changing along with social demands.(3) Healthier, more humanistic and happier should be Chinesesport's proper value orientation.