Prospect's resident philosopher Nigel Warburton draws conclusions from the philosophers' football match
In a hard-fought game Socrates Wanderers asked questions of Nietzsche Albion, but in the end the German team’s sheer will to power won through. The first few minutes had the quality of classic op art, with both teams playing in hoops and creating a complex Brownian motion, to little avail.
As the match settled, patterns emerged, but no clear architectonic: the Germans' rigorous attack was almost paradoxical due to the presence of anarchic comedian Arthur Smith at strike, who exhibited un-Kantian resistance to acknowledging the offside law. He rarely troubled fellow comedian Mark Steel, who heckled from the Greek goalmouth. Simon Glendinning of the LSE demonstrated the benefits of a European training with some graceful keeping for the Germans. Meanwhile, brother and sister team Bethany Hughes (TV presenter and historian) and Simon (cricketer switching codes for the day) added co-ordination to a Greek team that included first-time footballer and Plato expert Angie Hobbs at right back–she demonstrated an Aristotelian willingness to learn from experience.
This, though, was a game of two halves. It was one nil to the Greeks at half time, but a witty team talk from former England manager Graham "do-I-not-like-that" Taylor could not compete with the wisdom of Prospect’s sage A.C. Grayling, who reasoned his Teutonic team to a 3-1 victory. The Germans raised their game, at times achieving transcendence as David Edmonds brought bite and intelligence to a congested midfield. Philosopher of sport and rugby star Emily Ryall showed phenomenological pace, frequently breaking through the ruins of a crumbling Greek defence. Finally, a male streaker and a red card for Smith (for stealing the referee’s glasses) combined to to upset the logic of the Greeks, and at the end of the day they were left debating what might have been.
To read more about the match see Nigel's blog Virtual Philosopher or visit philosophersfootball.com
In a hard-fought game Socrates Wanderers asked questions of Nietzsche Albion, but in the end the German team’s sheer will to power won through. The first few minutes had the quality of classic op art, with both teams playing in hoops and creating a complex Brownian motion, to little avail.
As the match settled, patterns emerged, but no clear architectonic: the Germans' rigorous attack was almost paradoxical due to the presence of anarchic comedian Arthur Smith at strike, who exhibited un-Kantian resistance to acknowledging the offside law. He rarely troubled fellow comedian Mark Steel, who heckled from the Greek goalmouth. Simon Glendinning of the LSE demonstrated the benefits of a European training with some graceful keeping for the Germans. Meanwhile, brother and sister team Bethany Hughes (TV presenter and historian) and Simon (cricketer switching codes for the day) added co-ordination to a Greek team that included first-time footballer and Plato expert Angie Hobbs at right back–she demonstrated an Aristotelian willingness to learn from experience.
This, though, was a game of two halves. It was one nil to the Greeks at half time, but a witty team talk from former England manager Graham "do-I-not-like-that" Taylor could not compete with the wisdom of Prospect’s sage A.C. Grayling, who reasoned his Teutonic team to a 3-1 victory. The Germans raised their game, at times achieving transcendence as David Edmonds brought bite and intelligence to a congested midfield. Philosopher of sport and rugby star Emily Ryall showed phenomenological pace, frequently breaking through the ruins of a crumbling Greek defence. Finally, a male streaker and a red card for Smith (for stealing the referee’s glasses) combined to to upset the logic of the Greeks, and at the end of the day they were left debating what might have been.
To read more about the match see Nigel's blog Virtual Philosopher or visit philosophersfootball.com
