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The College at Brockport: State University of New YorkDigital Commons @BrockportKinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical EducationPresentations and Papers Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education

7-11-2014

Utilitarian Moral Theory: Parallels between a SportOrganization and SocietyRobert C. SchneiderThe College at Brockport, rschneid@brockport.edu

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Repository CitationSchneider, Robert C., "Utilitarian Moral Theory: Parallels between a Sport Organization and Society" (2014). Kinesiology, SportStudies and Physical Education Presentations and Papers. 9.http://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/pes_confpres/9

Utilitarian Moral Theory: Parallels between a Sport Organization and Society

Dr. Robert C. Schneider Sport Management Program Director

Friday, July 11th, 8:30; (8:30-10:00 Session) Venue: Qiu De Ba Gymnasium Room: 151

Utilitarian Moral Theory: Parallels between a Sport Organization and Society

• Continued Calling: Sport Organization & Society Morality (Required for Healthy Function)

• Transfer Utilitarian Based Sport Organ. Behaviors to Society

• Stake Highest in Society

Utilitarian Moral Theory as a Guide

• Sport Organization & Societal Policy Guided by: Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus Hume’s View on Sentiment

Utilitarianism = Most Happiness = Morally Good (Mill, 1863; Bentham, 1789/1961)

Jeremy Bentham John Stuart Mill

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David Hume

Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Mill, 1863/1969, p. 36).

Right Wrong

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Mill’s Greatest Happiness Principle • “The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals

‘utility’ or the “greatest happiness principle” holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the [dep]privation of pleasure.” (Mill, 1863/1969, p. 36)

• Burton (1962) stated: “That is useful which, taking all

times and all persons into consideration, leaves a balance of happiness; and, – the creation of the largest possible balance of happiness…”

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Jeremy Bentham

“Nature has placed mankind under two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure…” (Bentham, p. 17)

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David Hume

“Passion Drives Reason…” Innovation Stirring: Passion, Sentiments, Feelings?

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Ethical Grounding for Betterment, Sustainability, and Improved Society

• Reciprocal Learning: Sport Organ. & Society • Not a Solution: A Tool to Improve • Sport Organization Easily Dissected • Utilitarian Based Insights (Collective

Happiness)Transferred to Society

Ethical Grounding for Betterment, Sustainability, and Improved Society (cont’d)

• Utilitarian Grounded Societies Support

Cooperative International Goal Achievement • Societal Goal = Happiness; International

Cooperation • Morally Global Society Requires Cooperation

Societal/World Challenges

Identifying Commonalities among Cultural Differences

• Tolerance & Sensitivity: A Step Toward

Utilitarian Moral Good

• Putting Aside Race, Religion, Attitudes… Sport: For Winning Society: For Global Good?

Identifying Commonalities among Cultural Differences

• Utilitarian Moral Good Fostered through Creation of Commonalities (sport) • Sport: Brings People & Nations Together • e.g., World Cup, Tour de France, Olympics

Identifying Commonalities among Cultural Differences

• Overcoming Overt and Subconscious Cultural Biases? • Common Core Moral Values Among Diversity • Can common sport experiences help?

– e.g., Final Four Commonality; NBA • Globalization: Merging of Culturally Different

Societies • Sport: Merges Culturally Different Athletes

Sensitivity and Tolerance Supported by Education

• Utilitarianism in Society: Tolerance of Cultural

Differences • End Goal: Humanities ‘Want’ of Happiness • Globalization: Understanding Societies Beyond

One’s Own (Brodin, 2010)

Sensitivity and Tolerance Supported by Education (cont’d)

Achieving through: Disciplined Behavior Subconscious Selfish Desires Put Aside Softening of Differences: Immersion Into

Different Culture (Redden, 2010) e.g., Internships Abroad Education

Transitioning Commonalities into Tolerance to Cultural Differences

• Immersion into Different Cultures Require: • Open Mindedness • Contemplation of Similarities and

Dissimilarities (Leung, Maddux, Galinsky, Chiu, & 2008)

• Team Sports: Emerges Persons Beyond

Isolated States – Reduce Isolated States through Common Goals

Transitioning Commonalities into Tolerance to Cultural Differences (cont’d)

• Within and Across Societies, Identify

Commonalities • Fully Removing Cultural Differences: Naive • Giving Up Cultural Identity Contradicts

Utilitarianism • Leadership Cannot Force

Yesterday’s Panel Discussion

• Going Outside of Discipline (Remove Isolationism)

• Theme of Cooperation Among 4 Universities • “Mingling” Different Cultures

“Why We Need Social Theory to Understand Sport Mega Events” (Keynote, Susan Brownell)

Some Notes: OLYMPIC GAMES (Huge Party) (Hosting Platform) • Disseminating Chinese Culture • Cross Cultural Communications Bilateral Meeting Between Leadership Closer to World Peace (a Format)

• Heads of Multinational Corporate Leaders • Entertainment & Hospitality Industry • Politics • Rituals and Social Solidarity • Shared Members in Community • Global community requires global rituals and symbols forging

national identities into global identities.

Leading with Beauchamp’s (1982) Common Sense, Habits, and Past Experience

• Arriving Most Happiness: – common sense, habits, and past experiences –

choose actions eliciting most happiness (Beauchamp, 1982)

• Societal Utilitarianism: – respect common core values of peoples,

understanding past experiences; choose actions

Realistic Moral Expectations

• Wholesale Attitude or Cultural Changes: Unrealistic

• Extreme Changes: Unhappiness • Disingenuous Compromise: Unhappiness • Utilitarianism: Consciousness of Compromise

and Happiness

Realistic Moral Expectations

• Recall: Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus • Respect (not necessarily accept) Cultural

Differences • Attitudes, Beliefs, Customs, Religions • Respectfully Tolerate One Another’s Cultural

Differences

References (Incomplete)

• Beauchamp, T.L. (1982). Mill and utilitarian theories (pp. 71-106). In T.L. Beauchamp, • Philosophical ethics: An introduction to moral philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill. • Bentham, J. (1789/1961). An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. In • Utilitarianism (pp. 7-398). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. • Brodin, J. (2010). Education for global competencies. Journal of Studies in International • Education, 14(5), 569-584. doi:10.1177/1028315309343616 • Leung, A.K., Maddux, W.W., Galinsky, A.D., & Chiu, C. (2008). Multicultural experience • enhances creativity: The when and how. American Psychologist, 63(3), 169-181. doi:10.1037/0003-

066x.63.3.169 • Mill, J.S. (1863/1969). Utilitarianism. In J.M. Smith & E. Sosa (Eds.), Mill’s Utilitarianism • (pp. 31-88). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. • Redden, E. (2010, July 13). Academic outcomes of study abroad. Inside Higher Education. • Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/07/13/abroad • Reimers, F. M. (2009). Global competency. Harvard International Review, 30(4), 24-27. • Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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Utilitarian Moral Theory: Parallels between a Sport Organization and Society Robert C. Schneider The College at Brockport, State University of New York