| Physical education is a field of human understanding which is holistic in approach, and deals with some of the arts, such sport and dance, in particular, and human movement in general. But, the discipline of physical education has, in a radical sense, relegated itself to a narrow scientific domain in which human movement is regarded as nothing more than physical movement. The over-emphasis on the objective and scientific understanding of human movement distorts its subjective and artistic nature as a living form.;This investigation is intended to renew interest in understanding the way physical activities are known, the way which is artistic and holistic rather than scientific and analytic. For the purpose of the discussion, the writer divides knowing the physical education into three categories; knowing by technique, knowing by science, and knowing by art. The immediacy of knowing in physical activities goes beyond scientific and technical analysis. The claim is made that true understanding of physical education cannot be realized by merely increasing the number of data-based investigations or intensive book learning. It is suggested that the person be aesthetically involved in activities comprising physical education to achieve their full meaning.;The holistic approach, called "artful knowing," does not necessarily discredit the scientific method and underestimate the remarkable contribution of scientific researches to the growth of physical education. Rather, it provides a new horizon transcending scientific claims, wherein science is claimed as "the only access to truth.". |
