Wilderness and kinesiology

In this article I examine the theme of wilderness through the lens of American philosopher Henry Bugbee. His conception of wilderness goes beyond the literal sense of the word to what Mooney (1999) terms "a generous space of listening, mutuality of address and presence" (p. ix). I contend that Bugbee's metaphorical expression of wilderness has purchase for our discipline. For those involved in Kinesiology, this wilderness theme has a bearing on the way we approach our career, relate to our students and colleagues; it provides guidance for the integrity by which we hold together our inner and outer selves. My purpose here is to delineate Bugbee's use of the term wilderness and describe the upshot of the wilderness metaphor for Kinesiology.