Thetraitsofpredatorymanarebynomeansobsoleteinthecommonrunofmodernpopulations。Theyarepresentandcanbecalledoutinboldreliefatanytimebyanyappealtothesentimentsinwhichtheyexpressthemselves——unlessthisappealshouldclashwiththespecificactivitiesthatmakeupourhabitualoccupationsandcomprisethegeneralrangeofoureverydayinterests。Thecommonrunofthepopulationofanyindustrialcommunityisemancipatedfromthese，economicallyconsidered，untowardpropensitiesonlyinthesensethat，throughpartialandtemporarydisuse，theyhavelapsedintothebackgroundofsub-consciousmotives。Withvaryingdegreesofpotencyindifferentindividuals，theyremainavailablefortheaggressiveshapingofmen’sactionsandsentimentswheneverastimulusofmorethaneverydayintensitycomesintocallthemforth。Andtheyassertthemselvesforciblyinanycasewherenooccupationalientothepredatoryculturehasusurpedtheindividual’severydayrangeofinterestandsentiment。Thisisthecaseamongtheleisureclassandamongcertainportionsofthepopulationwhichareancillarytothatclass。Hencethefacilitywithwhichanynewaccessionstotheleisureclasstaketosports；andhencetherapidgrowthofsportsandofthesportingsentientinanyindustrialcommunitywherewealthhasaccumulatedsufficientlytoexemptaconsiderablepartofthepopulationfromwork。
Ahomelyandfamiliarfactmayservetoshowthatthepredaceousimpulsedoesnotprevailinthesamedegreeinallclasses。Takensimplyasafeatureofmodernlife，thehabitofcarryingawalking-stickmayseematbestatrivialdetail；buttheusagehasasignificanceforthepointinquestion。Theclassesamongwhomthehabitmostprevails——theclasseswithwhomthewalking-stickisassociatedinpopularapprehension——
arethemenoftheleisureclassproper，sportingmen，andthelower-classdelinquents。Tothesemightperhapsbeaddedthemenengagedinthepecuniaryemployments。Thesameisnottrueofthecommonrunofmenengagedinindustryanditmaybenotedbythewaythatwomendonotcarryastickexceptincaseofinfirmity，whereithasauseofadifferentkind。Thepracticeisofcourseingreatmeasureamatterofpoliteusage；butthebasisofpoliteusageis，inturn，theproclivitiesoftheclasswhichsetsthepaceinpoliteusage。Thewalking-stickservesthepurposeofanadvertisementthatthebearer’shandsareemployedotherwisethaninusefuleffort，anditthereforehasutilityasanevidenceofleisure。Butitisalsoaweapon，anditmeetsafeltneedofbarbarianmanonthatground。Thehandlingofsotangibleandprimitiveameansofoffenseisverycomfortingtoanyonewhoisgiftedwithevenamoderateshareofferocity。
Theexigenciesofthelanguagemakeitimpossibletoavoidanapparentimplicationofdisapprovaloftheaptitudes，propensities，andexpressionsoflifehereunderdiscussion。Itis，however，notintendedtoimplyanythinginthewayofdeprecationorcommendationofanyoneofthesephasesofhumancharacterorofthelifeprocess。Thevariouselementsoftheprevalenthumannaturearetakenupfromthepointofviewofeconomictheory，andthetraitsdiscussedaregaugedandgradedwithregardtotheirimmediateeconomicbearingonthefacilityofthecollectivelifeprocess。Thatistosay，thesephenomenaarehereapprehendedfromtheeconomicpointofviewandarevaluedwithrespecttotheirdirectactioninfurtheranceorhindranceofamoreperfectadjustmentofthehumancollectivitytotheenvironmentandtotheinstitutionalstructurerequiredbytheeconomicsituationofthecollectivityforthepresentandfortheimmediatefuture。Forthesepurposesthetraitshandeddownfromthepredatoryculturearelessserviceablethanmightbe。Althougheveninthisconnectionitisnottobeoverlookedthattheenergeticaggressivenessandpertinacityofpredatorymanisaheritageofnomeanvalue。Theeconomicvalue——withsomeregardalsotothesocialvalueinthenarrowersense——oftheseaptitudesandpropensitiesisattemptedtobepasseduponwithoutreflectingontheirvalueasseenfromanotherpointofview。Whencontrastedwiththeprosymediocrityofthelatter-dayindustrialschemeoflife，andjudgedbytheaccreditedstandardsofmorality，andmoreespeciallybythestandardsofaestheticsandofpoetry，thesesurvivalsfromamoreprimitivetypeofmanhoodmayhaveaverydifferentvaluefromthathereassignedthem。Butallthisbeingforeigntothepurposeinhand，noexpressionofopiniononthislatterheadwouldbeinplacehere。
Allthatisadmissibleistoenterthecautionthatthesestandardsofexcellence，whicharealientothepresentpurpose，mustnotbeallowedtoinfluenceoureconomicappreciationofthesetraitsofhumancharacteroroftheactivitieswhichfostertheirgrowth。Thisappliesbothasregardsthosepersonswhoactivelyparticipateinsportsandthosewhosesportingexperienceconsistsincontemplationonly。Whatisheresaidofthesportingpropensityislikewisepertinenttosundryreflectionspresentlytobemadeinthisconnectiononwhatwouldcolloquiallybeknownasthereligiouslife。
Thelastparagraphincidentallytouchesuponthefactthateverydayspeechcanscarcelybeemployedindiscussingthisclassofaptitudesandactivitieswithoutimplyingdeprecationorapology。Thefactissignificantasshowingthehabitualattitudeofthedispassionatecommonmantowardthepropensitieswhichexpressthemselvesinsportsandinexploitgenerally。Andthisisperhapsasconvenientaplaceasanytodiscussthatundertoneofdeprecationwhichrunsthroughallthevoluminousdiscourseindefenseorinlaudationofathleticsports，aswellasofotheractivitiesofapredominantlypredatorycharacter。Thesameapologeticframeofmindisatleastbeginningtobeobservableinthespokesmenofmostotherinstitutionshandeddownfromthebarbarianphaseoflife。Amongthesearchaicinstitutionswhicharefelttoneedapologyarecomprised，withothers，theentireexistingsystemofthedistributionofwealth，togetherwiththeresultingclassdistinctionofstatus；allornearlyallformsofconsumptionthatcomeundertheheadofconspicuouswaste；thestatusofwomenunderthepatriarchalsystem；andmanyfeaturesofthetraditionalcreedsanddevoutobservances，especiallytheexotericexpressionsofthecreedandthenaiveapprehensionofreceivedobservances。Whatistobesaidinthisconnectionoftheapologeticattitudetakenincommendingsportsandthesportingcharacterwillthereforeapply，withasuitablechangeinphraseology，totheapologiesofferedinbehalfoftheseother，relatedelementsofoursocialheritage。
Thereisafeeling——usuallyvagueandnotcommonlyavowedinsomanywordsbytheapologisthimself，butordinarilyperceptibleinthemannerofhisdiscourse——thatthesesports，aswellasthegeneralrangeofpredaceousimpulsesandhabitsofthoughtwhichunderliethesportingcharacter，donotaltogethercommendthemselvestocommonsense。“Astothemajorityofmurderers，theyareveryincorrectcharacters。“Thisaphorismoffersavaluationofthepredaceoustemperament，andofthedisciplinaryeffectsofitsovertexpressionandexercise，asseenfromthemoralist’spointofview。Assuchitaffordsanindicationofwhatisthedeliveranceofthesobersenseofmaturemenastothedegreeofavailabilityofthepredatoryhabitofmindforthepurposesofthecollectivelife。Itisfeltthatthepresumptionisagainstanyactivitywhichinvolveshabituationtothepredatoryattitude，andthattheburdenofprooflieswiththosewhospeakfortherehabilitationofthepredaceoustemperandforthepracticeswhichstrengthenit。
Thereisastrongbodyofpopularsentimentinfavorofdiversionsandenterprisesofthekindinquestion；butthereisatthesametimepresentinthecommunityapervadingsensethatthisgroundofsentimentwantslegitimation。Therequiredlegitimationisordinarilysoughtbyshowingthatalthoughsportsaresubstantiallyofapredatory，sociallydisintegratingeffect；
althoughtheirproximateeffectrunsinthedirectionofreversiontopropensitiesthatareindustriallydisserviceable；
yetindirectlyandremotely——bysomenotreadilycomprehensibleprocessofpolarinduction，orcounter-irritationperhaps——
sportsareconceivedtofosterahabitofmindthatisserviceableforthesocialorindustrialpurpose。Thatistosay，althoughsportsareessentiallyofthenatureofinvidiousexploit，itispresumedthatbysomeremoteandobscureeffecttheyresultinthegrowthofatemperamentconducivetonon-invidiouswork。Itiscommonlyattemptedtoshowallthisempiricallyoritisratherassumedthatthisistheempiricalgeneralizationwhichmustbeobvioustoanyonewhocarestoseeit。Inconductingtheproofofthisthesisthetreacherousgroundofinferencefromcausetoeffectissomewhatshrewdlyavoided，exceptsofarastoshowthatthe“manlyvirtues“spokenofabovearefosteredbysports。Butsinceitisthesemanlyvirtuesthatare(economically)inneedoflegitimation，thechainofproofbreaksoffwhereitshouldbegin。Inthemostgeneraleconomicterms，theseapologiesareanefforttoshowthat，inspiteofthelogicofthething，sportsdoinfactfurtherwhatmaybroadlybecalledworkmanship。Solongashehasnotsucceededinpersuadinghimselforothersthatthisistheireffectthethoughtfulapologistforsportswillnotrestcontent，andcommonly，itistobeadmitted，hedoesnotrestcontent。Hisdiscontentwithhisownvindicationofthepracticeinquestionisordinarilyshownbyhistruculenttoneandbytheeagernesswithwhichheheapsupasseverationsinsupportofhisposition。
Butwhyareapologiesneeded？Ifthereprevailsabodyofpopularsentientinfavorofsports，whyisnotthatfactasufficientlegitimation？Theprotracteddisciplineofprowesstowhichtheracehasbeensubjectedunderthepredatoryandquasi-peaceableculturehastransmittedtothemenoftodayatemperamentthatfindsgratificationintheseexpressionsofferocityandcunning。So，whynotacceptthesesportsaslegitimateexpressionsofanormalandwholesomehumannature？
Whatothernormistherethatistobeliveduptothanthatgivenintheaggregaterangeofpropensitiesthatexpressthemselvesinthesentimentsofthisgeneration，includingthehereditarystrainofprowess？Theulteriornormtowhichappealistakenistheinstinctofworkmanship，whichisaninstinctmorefundamental，ofmoreancientprescription，thanthepropensitytopredatoryemulation。Thelatterisbutaspecialdevelopmentoftheinstinctofworkmanship，avariant，relativelylateandephemeralinspiteofitsgreatabsoluteantiquity。Theemulativepredatoryimpulse——ortheinstinctofsportsmanship，asitmightwellbecalled——isessentiallyunstableincomparisonwiththeprimordialinstinctofworkmanshipoutofwhichithasbeendevelopedanddifferentiated。Testedbythisulteriornormoflife，predatoryemulation，andthereforethelifeofsports，fallsshort。
Themannerandthemeasureinwhichtheinstitutionofaleisureclassconducestotheconservationofsportsandinvidiousexploitcanofcoursenotbesuccinctlystated。Fromtheevidencealreadyreciteditappearsthat，insentientandinclinations，theleisureclassismorefavorabletoawarlikeattitudeandanimusthantheindustrialclasses。Somethingsimilarseemstobetrueasregardssports。Butitischieflyinitsindirecteffects，thoughthecanonsofdecorousliving，thattheinstitutionhasitsinfluenceontheprevalentsentimentwithrespecttothesportinglife。Thisindirecteffectgoesalmostunequivocallyinthedirectionoffurtheringasurvivalofthepredatorytemperamentandhabits；andthisistrueevenwithrespecttothosevariantsofthesportinglifewhichthehigherleisure-classcodeofproprietiesproscribes；as，e。g。，prize-fighting，cock-fighting，andotherlikevulgarexpressionsofthesportingtemper。Whateverthelatestauthenticatedscheduleofdetailproprietiesmaysay，theaccreditedcanonsofdecencysanctionedbytheinstitutionsaywithoutequivocationthatemulationandwastearegoodandtheiroppositesaredisreputable。Inthecrepuscularlightofthesocialnetherspacesthedetailsofthecodearenotapprehendedwithallthefacilitythatmightbedesired，andthesebroadunderlyingcanonsofdecencyarethereforeappliedsomewhatunreflectingly，withlittlequestionastothescopeoftheircompetenceortheexceptionsthathavebeensanctionedindetail。
Addictiontoathleticsports，notonlyinthewayofdirectparticipation，butalsointhewayofsentimentandmoralsupport，is，inamoreorlesspronounceddegree，acharacteristicoftheleisureclass；anditisatraitwhichthatclassshareswiththelower-classdelinquents，andwithsuchatavisticelementsthroughoutthebodyofthecommunityasareendowedwithadominantpredaceoustrend。FewindividualsamongthepopulationsofWesterncivilizedcountriesaresofardevoidofthepredaceousinstinctastofindnodiversionincontemplatingathleticsportsandgames，butwiththecommonrunofindividualsamongtheindustrialclassestheinclinationtosportsdoesnotassertitselftotheextentofconstitutingwhatmayfairlybecalledasportinghabit。Withtheseclassessportsareanoccasionaldiversionratherthanaseriousfeatureoflife。Thiscommonbodyofthepeoplecanthereforenotbesaidtocultivatethesportingpropensity。
