The body in motion, freedom in relationship: a pedagogical interpretation of sport in the light of greek paideia

Abstract

In the Greek world, the agōn (regulated competition) constituted a holistic formative experience, in which body, mind and citizenship were harmoniously combined within paideía, understood as the process of the
individual’s complete education. This educational framework, founded on responsibility, the recognition of limits and community relations, found its ideal setting in the gymnasium: a place where young people cultivated sōphrosýnē (moderation, self-control, temperance), a principle of balance that makes freedom possible and nurtures philía (solidarity-based friendship). In light of this paradigm, the question arises today as to how a pedagogical reinterpretation of the Greek competitive experience might contribute to the construction of a pedagogy of freedom and care within contemporary sporting contexts, restoring to the body a formative, relational and reflective value capable of transcending the logic of mere efficiency
and performance. From this perspective, a pedagogical reflection on the relationship between physicality, competition and freedom can be fruitfully interwoven with the principles of sport pedagogy, embodied cognition and positive pedagogy, steering sports education towards a critical, relational and body-conscious approach. From a methodological point of view, this contribution takes the form of a theoretical-hermeneutic reflection, aimed at exploring the educational meanings implicit in the tradition of paideía and
bringing them into dialogue with contemporary concepts and practices. It does not seek to propose an empirical investigation, but rather a conceptual and interpretative analysis grounded in historical, philosophical and pedagogical sources, aimed at offering new interpretative frameworks for the educational understanding of bodily and competitive experience.