The ancient Greeks were fascinated by the problem of the one and the many: Is the world really one big unified thing, or a bunch of separate things?  This may seem like a purely philosophical question for intellectual speculation—but it is actually central to what you do in physical education.

You may have noticed that we don’t typically do group projects here at CCA—for the most part, you are individually responsible for the knowledge of your content classes.

But in PE, one of the things you learn is teamwork—whether in street hockey, handball, or even in dancing with a partner.  And here, your individual knowledge of the game or dance must be merged with the virtues of working together.  In fact, the very concept of a team is perhaps the best human answer to the Greeks’ one and many problem. 

Aristotle famously said: “In the case of all things which have several parts and in which the totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts, there is a cause…of unity.”  In other words, for many individuals to become one team, there must be unity of purpose.  Without it, they’re just a heap.

So, when you’re playing games in PE, remember that you’re not just getting out the wiggles, and winning isn’t even the goal—you’re learning something even more important.  You’re actually solving one of the greatest questions of Western philosophy; and you’re practicing living out the motto of our country: “E pluribus unum”—“Out of many, one.”

Have a wonderful day.