Communities

Communities

Yesterday I watched Roger Federer being inducted into the tennis Hall of Fame. He gave a likably lachrymose speech and was his usual urbane self. He talked about how much he loved the game of tennis and especially tennis balls. Many professional tennis players attended. Roger’s wife Mirka gave a touching introductory speech. A nice occasion. It made me glad to be a tennis player and part of that community. But then I reflected that I used to be part of the philosophy community, but that came to an abrupt end fourteen years ago—rather as if RF himself had been cancelled (just imagine it!). The philosophy community used to be my community, but no more. I never imagined such a thing could happen, but it did. Of course, I still have some philosophical friends, but not here in Miami and very few in other parts of the country. But the point I want to make is that one community has been substituted for another: my tennis community knows nothing of my erstwhile philosophy community and couldn’t care less. For them, I am that tennis player they see on the courts; my old occupation is of no concern to them. No one ever mentions it or even knows about it. My social identity is tennis centered. I was always ambivalent about my philosophical social identity, but now it no longer operationally exists. My philosophical self is more or less private; my tennis self is the self I present to the world (see E. Goffman). Nowadays people want to play tennis with me not ask me philosophical questions.