Michael Brearley/ David Papineau/ Simon Glendinning
Thursday 8 November 2012, 6.30-8.00pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE
Michael Brearley is a psychoanalyst in London, in earlier life he taught philosophy, and was a professional cricketer
David Papineau, Professor of Philosophy, King’s College London
Chair: Simon Glendinning, Reader in European Philosophy, European Institute, LSE and Director of the Forum for European Philosophy
What is meant by ‘being in the zone’? Can philosophy or cognitive science help explain the combination of mental and physical effort required for sporting excellence? Michael Brearely discussed technique and emotion, concentration and relaxation, self-criticism and self-confidence, and considered whether the capacity to find an optimum balance of such qualities can be learned or fostered. David Papineau spoke about the way that high-level sport requires intentional mental control of reflex behaviour, and reflected on what this tells us about both cognition and sport.