INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

OLYMPICS FROM THE VIEW OF
CULTURAL - ETHICAL MATTERS
Mr Seyyed Ali Reza HOSSEINI KAKHAK (IRI)
Movement is a prerequisite of survival. Even though Humans are
the superior spieces in the universe, in order to survive, they need to
move and be physically active. Nowadays, the Olympic is the most
reliable and organized sport competition in the world. The appearance
of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greek was based on cultural-ethical
issues. In those days, the Gods, who were the manifestation of power
and wisdom, were respected, as was the proverb: “ Healthy Mind in
Healthy Body ”
The Games was representative of the importance of sport in
Ancient Greece. Over time the Games for many reasons deviated and
finally stopped. An educational and creative thinker named Coubertin
decided to revive these Games. He announced his aim of developing
and spreading peace and friendship through the world and promoting
the Olympic goals. According to his idea, Art, which is a
manifestation of culture, can help sport to better transport its message
all over the world. Coubertin designed symbols (flag, motto, rings)
and principle all of which emphasize the Cultural-Ethical values. We
can obviously see Cultural-Ethical evidences in each element of the
Olympics.
The gathering of athletes with different cultures leads to the
introduction of their culture to one another. The opening and closing
ceremonies, concerts, film and theatre festivals, handy-crafts
exhibitions etc depict the culture in Olympic Games.
On the other hand, the Olympics promote peace, friendship and
respect of human dignities and ethics. In the Olympics athletes learn
to respect the opponents and not sacrifice ethical principles to win.
After finishing the Games, Olympians as prophets of peace and
friendship transport this message all over the world. Of course,
sometimes in the Olympics we can observe illegal acts and ignoring
Cultural-Ethical principles (doping, bribery, cheating, etc), which
threaten the Olympism’s goals.
Key words: culture, ethics, the Olympic Games, religion, art
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