Intellectualizing Physical Culture: Debates on Competitive Sports and Gymnastics in the Interwar Yugoslav Sokol Association

In this article, the conceptual debates about the difference between competitive sports and gymnastics within the interwar Yugoslav Sokol association, are examined. A particular focus is put on the intellectual discourses and ideological production by the political thinkers engaged in the association, who sought to conceptually distinguish between the two and largely argued for the rejection of modern competitive sports. Relying on a robust body of sources, namely the texts from the associational periodicals, as well as on conceptually sensitive discourse analysis, it is demonstrated that they debated the complex relationship between different varieties of physical culture and national character, national economy, political culture and their desired socio-political order. Given that Sokol inherited the Habsburg positivist and liberal intellectual package, which favoured monistic and holistic approaches to physical education in the national liberal key—the interwar Sokol thinkers insisted on an inextricable connection between body and mind, and thus a need for Sokol to conduct harmonious development of the ‘national body’ and psyche. Conversely, they saw sports as individualistic, specialization- and record-driven and conducive to a lack of social cohesion, idolatry and neglect of the health and psychological development of the overall population.