Hermeneutics, Semiotics, and the 19th-Century Quest for a Corporeal Self

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Abstract
In an attempt to better understand the societies they investigate, a growing number of intellectual historians have begun to tum their attention to examining cultural meanings as well as the structures of society. Drawing upon developments in intellectual history, as well as on social science theories that are concemed with hermeneutics (interpretation of texts) and semiotics (the study of signs and symbols), this paper discusses possible future directions for research in the history of sport and physical education. Two of many possible areas of investigation are suggested: (a) the rise of such 19th-century sporting spectacles as the Oxford-Cambridge crew race, the Harvard-Yale football game (the prototype for all similar American contests), and the modem Olympic Games, and (b) the impact of developments in 19th-century biology (the life sciences) on ideas about health, physical education, and athletic sport.