Death in sport: a philosophical paradox of existential modes of necrophilia and biophilia

This article argues that contemporary philosophy of sport, while deeply informed by Heidegger’s notion of being-toward-death, has largely overlooked the relevance of Erich Fromm’s distinction between biophilia (loving the adventurousness of life) and necrophilia (loving order and focus on the past). Whereas Heidegger’s framework allows us to conceive death not as the negation of life but as its existential horizon, Fromm’s concepts illuminate a paradox inherent in our relation to vitality: a biophilic orientation toward creative, open and embodied forms of life entails greater vulnerability – and thus greater exposure to death – than a necrophilic orientation grounded in safety, control and predictability. In the context of sport, this tension reveals the limitations of approaches that prioritize performance, measurement and risk-avoidance. Integrating Fromm’s perspective enriches the philosophical discourse by showing that the value of sport – and of human existence more broadly – lies not in the sheer quantity or security of life but in its quality, understood as the capacity to engage the world authentically, creatively and fully despite, and even because of, our finitude.