Example: Sport

Sport is played freely according to jointly recognized rules—an ideal type of rule-governed collective activity that brings participants enjoyment, promotes fitness and is highly attractive, especially as competitive sport. Authoritarian power systems have therefore always sought to instrumentalize sport for their own ends. But in doing so, they face a fundamental dilemma: sport as such is strictly rule-governed and therefore runs counter to authoritarian thinking about power.

However, sport, sports politics and politics in general must be analysed separately. Even when sports politics—for example, the awarding of the Olympic Games or World Championships—is corrupt or driven by authoritarian power, this need not distort sport itself. Moreover, in a world where power structures play a major role, sports politics can often hardly be conducted through fair (rule-of-law) procedures. Political analysis must therefore distinguish between sport itself, sports politics (which should be as fair and democratic as possible) and politics in general—an ethical perspective as opposed to moralism.

Sport itself, now practiced around the world, stands as a fundamental counterweight to power-driven thinking and action. Even in sports policy, actors waging wars of aggression can repeatedly be sanctioned, following the example of the ancient Greek Olympic Games.