Contemporary physical activities: the aesthetic justification

Abstract

The customary view of today’s recreational physical activities turns the human movement into a rational practice that is pursued for practical reasons only: for health, vitality, stamina and longevity. This prevalent point of view affects the understanding of the ends, content and quality of physical activities and it creates a bias where the biological, physiological and medical characteristics of physical activities are emphasized while the sensuous, experiential and creative aspects are suppressed. This results in a partial understanding about the significance of human movement in contemporary culture. The article analyses the reasons for this distorted view of physical activity and formulates a rationale for the aesthetic justification for the contemporary way of being active. In addition, the article explores on the role of the (aesthetic) experience in contemporary physical activities as well as examines the possibilities of change the aesthetic justification can provide the physical activity.