William Irwin has taken philosophy out of the academy and put it on the
bestseller list. The series has been featured in The New York Times and
People, and on NPR's All Things Considered. Now philosophy finds its
real home -- in the dugout. In Baseball and Philosophy, 18 professors --
some from the new field devoted to the philosophy of sport, others
unapologetic baseball fans -- explore the sport's deeper aspects. How
can Zen be applied to hitting? Do you play to win or play by the rules?
Is it ethical to employ deception in sports? Can a game be defined by
its written rules or are there also other constraints? What can the U.S.
Supreme Court learn from umpiring? Why should baseball be the only
industry exempt from antitrust laws? These are some of the questions
addressed in this witty, provocative blend of two major American
pastimes: watching baseball and thinking about it.