Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.21464/fi46105

Arne Næss and Mountain(eering): From Nature Sport through Lifestyle to Bioethical Worldview

Jan Defrančeski orcid.org/0000-0003-1811-2396 ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Sveučilišni centar za integrativnu bioetiku, Ivana Lučića 1a, HR–10000 Zagreb *
Igor Eterović ; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Braće Branchetta 20, HR–51000 Rijeka

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

In recent years, the philosophy of sport has devoted increasing attention to the philosophy of nature sports. This development stems from their distinctive structure as sports, but also from their complexity as activities that often transcend sport itself. Indeed, for those who actively engage in them, nature sports frequently develop first into lifestyles, and subsequently into life’s philosophies, that is, into distinctive worldviews. The particular richness of the philosophy of nature sports lies in its capacity to foster environmental awareness or, more broadly, bioethical sensibility. In this paper, using the example of the Norwegian philosopher and environmental thinker Arne Næss, we demonstrate how the practice of a nature sport, in this case, mountaineering, can evolve into a distinctive lifestyle and a bioethical worldview. We argue that mountaineering, as a specific nature sport, cultivates forms of bioethical sensibility that may develop into a distinctive bioethical worldview, exemplified by Næss’s ecosophy, and that his close relationship with mountains and mountaineering was decisive for the development of his ecosophical way of life and the founding of Ecosophy T. At the same time, we demonstrate that the often-overlooked biographical and experiential dimensions of Næss’s relationship with the mountains not only complement his intellectual legacy but also provide a crucial interpretative framework for a more comprehensive understanding of his philosophy. It is precisely in this that we locate the reason why Næss’s fundamental philosophical theses cannot be fully grasped through theoretical analysis alone, given their deep-rootedness in lived practice. At the same time, this reveals the remarkable potential of the philosophy of sport for reflecting on nature sports as platforms for cultivating bioethical sensibility and transforming humanity’s relationship to itself and the more-than-human world.

Keywords

Arne Næss; nature sport; philosophy of sport; philosophy of mountaineering; bioethical sensibility; bioethical worldview; deep ecology; ecosophy; lifestyle

Hrčak ID:

351147

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/351147

Publication date:

20.9.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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