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Fans and fanaticism: the vulnerability of devotion and sportswashing as exploitation
Wojtowicz,Jake Archer,Alfred Fruh,Kyle
Wojtowicz,Jake
Archer,Alfred
Fruh,Kyle
Abstract
Devoted sports fandom has been defended as a worthwhile undertaking that lends meaning to people's lives and shapes their very identities; on the other hand, fanaticism is widely decried as morally troubling. We sketch the similarities between fandom and fanaticism and argue that sports fandom is often a form of fanaticism. We use the fact that fandom is often regarded as a valuable thing to suggest a value-neutral account of fanaticism and argue that, in cases where the object of devotion is not problematic, it is the vulnerability to exploitation that can explain some of the evils of fanaticism. Fanaticism turns sour when the devotion fans have for their team is systematically preyed upon and exploited to disastrous effect. We illustrate this with two prominent examples of the exploitation of sports fans. Firstly, fandom leaves them open to commercial exploitation. Secondly, it explains the power and prevalence of sportswashing, a moral phenomenon that has recently had a major impact on global sports. A comparison with cults helps to highlight this evil.
Description
Date
2026-01-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Fandom, Commercialization, Devotion, Fanaticism, Sportswashing
Citation
Wojtowicz, J, Archer, A & Fruh, K 2026, 'Fans and fanaticism : the vulnerability of devotion and sportswashing as exploitation', Philosophical Psychology, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 175-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515089.2025.2499626
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess