Xiner Tao

J.S. Russell’s account of broad internalism holds that the interpretation and application of rules should be guided by underlying principles aimed at maintaining and fostering sporting excellence. However, the concept of excellence that underpins this view remains insufficiently developed. This paper critically engages with Russell’s work, arguing that broad internalism requires a richer account of sporting excellence: one that incorporates moral sporting virtues. Such an account would better help adjudicate disputes over rule application and reinforce the role of sport in promoting human flourishing.

In moral philosophy, it is common to accept that some acts are beyond the call of duty, or supererogatory. Recently, it has been argued that there are also distinctly sporting forms of supererogation (Archer 2017). These arguments have been criticized by Stefan Borge (2021), who argues that they fail to establish the need to make room for supererogation. In this paper, we will defend the existence of acts sporting supererogation against Borge’s critiques. Key to Borge’s argument are the claims that all purported acts of supererogation are luxury phenomena and that luxury phenomena cannot be supererogatory. We will argue against both claims and show that Borge’s arguments give us no reason to reject the existence of sporting supererogation.