| Abstract: |
This paper argues that modern sport developed out of new forms of
associativity created during the European enlightenment. It argues that the
fundamental unit of modern sport is the club, and that these associations
developed autonomously in Britain during the eighteenth century following the
retreat of the state from the control of associative activities. The evolution
of modern sports thus formed part of the expansion of private associative
activity that occurred in the Anglo-Saxon world. By contrast, in countries
such as France and Germany where associativity continued to require the
explicit or implicit license of the state, modern sports developed in ways
consistent with or even in the service of the objectives of the state, most
notably the need to maintain military preparedness. |