They say a health boom is on. In the boom, it is also said that health is very important for happiness, or health is the ultimate object of life, and physical education and sport make a contribution to healthy life in the modern society. The practical significance of that idea seems to be understood, but we can also offer some questions to it from the philosophical point of view.
In short, the questions are: a. What is health? How should we grasp the concept of health? b. Is health really the ultimate object of life? c. Is there actually a close connection between physical education, sport and health?
To answer the above questions, the following three kinds of relation were reflected in this paper. That is, (1) the relation between physical education and sport, (2) the relation between physical education and health, (3) the relation between sport and health.
In this paper, as the question c corresponds to the relation (2) and (3), and the relation (2) can be briefly understood by the consideration of the relation (1) (physical education in functional meaning and sport in substantial meaning), main problems are the question a, b and the relation (3).
As conclusions:
About, the question a: The definition that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being [WHO] is just relative, institutional and ideal / dreamy, and it doesn't have any practical contents.
About the question b: Health is only mirage in one meaning, not substantial value. When health is limited to the cure of physical or mental diseases, it has practical importance. In its limitation, health is not the ultimate object of life, but only the elementary condition of life.
About the relation (3): Health is not included in the intrinsic structure of sport. Sport has only possibility to provide the means of physical movement for health.