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Flashcards in this deck (36)
  • What fundamental dynamic does sport involve according to the notes?

    • 'a relentless competitive dynamic'
    sport definition
  • What threat is described as ever-present and able to distort sport results?

    • 'doping'
    doping threat
  • How many answers to the point of sport are listed in the notes?

    • 3
    sport overview
  • What is the first answer to the point of sport listed in the notes?

    • 'A quest for extreme feats'
    sport idea
  • Which myth is said to inspire the athletic ideal of modern athletes?

    • 'the myth of the marathon'
    myth ideal
  • How does Savulescu characterize performance enhancement in sport?

    • 'Performance enhancement is not against the spirit of sport; it is the spirit of sport.'
    savulescu ethics
  • According to Tamburrini, what drives professional sport?

    • 'a desire to expand the boundaries of what hitherto was considered to be humanly possible, even by jeopardising one's own health.'
    tamburrini motivation
  • What does Tamburrini say about banned doping substances and techniques?

    • 'Banned doping substances and techniques are therefore obviously in accordance with the 'spirit' of today's crudely competitive, highly technified sports world.'
    tamburrini doping
  • What counterexamples to the 'quest for extreme feats' view are mentioned?

    • Weight lifting: different weight categories
    • Cycling: different age groups
    • Bike Racing: 6 categories
    categories fairness
  • How is the definition noted as being 'modified' in the text?

    • 'modified to mean performances relative to the particulars of the competitors'
    definition modification
  • Which virtuous attributes does the text say sport should focus on rewarding?

    • Hard work
    • Persistence
    • Courage
    virtue values
  • What did Mehlman argue about rejecting talent in sport?

    Mehlman argues that sport could 'reject talent as an acceptable basis for differences in performance regardless of how the talent was acquired'

    mehlman talent
  • What example does the text give of classification to ensure fairness in Paralympic sprinting?

    Paralympic 100m final had 30 different heats, to account for broad distinctions in impairments and severities

    paralympic classification
  • What alternative view accepts natural talents as central to sporting excellence?

    Sport should also embrace natural talents as an inescapable component of excellence in sport

    talent excellence
  • How does Juengst describe the celebration of human variation within sport?

    Juengst argues that 'within any one sprot, the celebration of human variation is always comparative and hierarchical. The spirit of sport, then, is the celebration of the differences in human talents and virtues that allow athletes to honourable and beautifully accomplish achievements that place them higher in a hierarchy of human excellence than their competition'

    juengst variation
  • How does Tansjo characterise elite sport's view of justice?

    Elite sport embodies a ‘Nietzchean view of justice, according to which it is unfair if those who are less fit pool thei resources and rob the genuinely strong Ubermensch of his genetic advantage... Nowhere else in civilized society are we prepared tro live with this notion of justice' (Tansjo 2009 р 325)

    justice elite
  • How is the 'ethos of elite sport' argument described compared to the 'Virtuous perfection' view?

    The ethos of elite sport argument that genetics should be decisive and we should eliminate other differences is strikingly different from the Virtuous perfection of natural talents

    ethos comparison
  • What important factor does 'his account' omit according to the text?

    His account includes only one component - natural talent - and ignores the extraordinary importance of what athletes must do in order to hone those talents for successful competition.

    training talent
  • Why does the text say there is no singular 'ubermentsch'?

    Moreover, the diversity of sports means that there is no singular ubermentsch, no wholly genetically superior

    diversity genetics
  • According to the text, how does sport's variety affect genetic hierarchies and success?

    Taken in their totality, sports have no specific genetic hierarchy because their variety allows people of all different genetic predispositions to succeed; Tansjo and Juengst's concerns should not be taken seriously.

    sports genetics equality
  • What aspect of athletes' efforts does public discourse celebrate, according to the text?

    Public discourse celebrates the morally valuable things athletes do to perfect their talents, valuing the struggle in improvement and the rewards that stem from such efforts.

    sports ethics culture
  • What does the text say about deriving a view of genetic inferiority from a few observations?

    The text states it is a great and unwarranted leap from a handful of uncontroversial observations to the dire proposition that sport fosters a socially perilous view of genetic inferiority.

    argument critique ethics
  • How does Murray describe the point of sport in the text?

    Murray says 'The most plausible account of the point of sport is as a vehicle to encourage and celebrate the virtuous perfection of natural talents.'

    murray sports virtue
  • What governance-related claim does Murray make about sport?

    He argues that sport 'urgently needs reforms in governance along with a clear articulation of its moral foundation.'

    murray governance reform
  • What does Rawls claim about natural talents and traits of character in the text?

    Rawls goes beyond anti-doping critics to claim that not only natural talents but also traits of character are undeserved.

    rawls justice talent
  • Which primary social goods does Rawls list in the text?

    • Rights, liberties and opportunities
    • Income and wealthy
    rawls political goods
  • What additional personal goods does Rawls mention as part of the social structure enabling success?

    He mentions also self worth and self respect, which he posits are part of a social structure that enable success.

    rawls self society
  • How does enjoyment relate to realized capacities according to the text's Rawlsian claim?

    Other things equal, human beings enjoy the exercise of their realized capacities, and this enjoyment increases the more the capacity is realized.

    rawls psychology capacity
  • Why must the Aristotelian Principle be included in the design of social institutions?

    • 'otherwise human beings will find their culture and form of life dull and empty. Their vitality and zest will fail sa their life becomes a tiresome routine.'
    institutions aristotelian culture
  • How do forms of life that absorb men's energies and pastimes tend to develop?

    • 'the forms of life which absorb men;'s energies and pastimes tend to develop their intricacies and subtleties almost without end.'
    culture development
  • What do social practices and cooperative activities increasingly call forth as they are built up through the imagination of many individuals?

    • 'they incrfeasingly call forth a more complex array of abilities and new ways of doing things'
    practices abilities
  • According to the text, excellence in sport is the joint product of what?

    • 'human will intellect and body'
    sport excellence
  • What examples of exploitation and injustice in sport are given?

    • 'forced doping'
    • 'blackmail'
    • 'sexual abuse of young athletes'
    sport injustice
  • How does the author describe failures in sport governance and the need to address them?

    • 'the failures in governance are deep and wide spread.'
    • 'Addressing them forcefully is a vital and urgent task.'
    governance reform
  • On what must understanding the ethics of doping be grounded, according to the text?

    • 'our best understanding of meanings and values in sport'
    doping ethics
  • What form of justification does the author say the understanding of sport must rely on (invoking Rawls)?

    • 'justification in terms of the mutual support of many considerations, of everything fitting together into one coherent view.'
    justification rawls
Study Notes

Overview

  • These notes summarize competing accounts of the point of sport, the moral arguments about doping, and governance problems that create injustice in sport.
  • Focus is on three main views: sport as a quest for extreme feats, sport as rewarding virtue, and sport as celebrating natural talent.

Key definitions

  • Sport: organized competitive activity with rules that test skill, fitness or strategy.
  • Doping: use of substances or methods that alter performance beyond accepted rules or safety standards.
  • Spirit of sport: an often-invoked ideal capturing what is morally valuable in sport (fairness, effort, excellence).

Three answers to the point of sport

1) Quest for extreme feats (performance-maximizing view)

  • Sport aims to push human limits and celebrate ever-greater performance.
  • Proponents argue performance enhancement is consistent with this spirit: improving is part of being human.
  • Critics note sport organizes competitors into categories (weight classes, age groups, Paralympic classifications) which complicates the ‘‘pure limits’’ argument.
  • Example tension: professional athletes accepting health risks to break records.

2) Sport as rewarding virtue (virtue-perfection view)

  • Sport should honour virtues like hard work, persistence, courage, and skill cultivation.
  • This view supports anti-doping because success ought to reflect effort and moral qualities, not pharmacological shortcuts.
  • Murray endorses this: sport is primarily a vehicle to encourage and celebrate moral perfection of talents.

3) Sport as celebrating natural talent (ethos of elite sport)

  • Some argue sport rightly highlights innate differences; genetic advantages are legitimate bases for superiority in competition.
  • Critics (e.g., Juengst, Tansjo) worry this fosters a hierarchical view of human worth or an ‘‘Ubermensch’’ ideal.
  • Defenders reply sport is diverse: different sports favor different bodies, so no single genetic hierarchy obtains.
  • Public praise often focuses on the athlete’s struggle to perfect innate abilities, blending talent and effort.

Moral tensions and practical distinctions

  • Talent vs effort: should natural ability count as a primary basis for sporting success, or should institutions compensate for arbitrary advantages?
  • Relative vs absolute performance: categories (weight classes, age groups, disability classifications) show sport already adjusts comparisons to preserve fairness.
  • Health risk vs excellence: pursuing extreme performance may endanger athletes, raising ethical limits on permissible enhancement.

Rawlsian and institutional perspectives

  • Rawlsian view: social institutions should account for how talents and character traits are distributed; primary goods include rights and opportunities that affect sporting chances.
  • Murray argues sport needs better governance and a clear moral foundation combining multiple considerations (virtue, fairness, wellbeing).
  • The Aristotelian idea: social practices (including sport) cultivate diverse human capacities and enrich life, supporting structured opportunities to excel.

Governance failures and injustice

  • Poor governance creates avenues for exploitation: forced doping, blackmail, sexual abuse, and systemic inequality.
  • Addressing governance is urgent: rules, enforcement, athlete protections, and transparency are core reforms.
  • A coherent anti-doping ethic must rest on a clear account of sport's values and on reliable institutions to enforce them fairly.

Implications for anti-doping policy

  • Arguments supporting bans: protect health, preserve merit based on effort/skill, maintain fair competition.
  • Arguments against bans or for liberalization: enhancement may align with the drive to improve limits; enforcement can be inconsistent and paternalistic.
  • Practical middle paths: clearer justification for prohibitions, consistent governance reforms, category-based adjustments, and athlete-centred safeguards.

Examples that illustrate points

  • Weightlifting: weight classes show sport already normalizes for body-size differences.
  • Cycling and bike racing: many categories and ages demonstrate how sport structures competition to be fairer.
  • Paralympic classification: many heats reflect attempts to group competitors by comparable impairment severity.

Study tips / exam-ready points

  • Be able to: compare and contrast the three accounts of sport and give practical examples (weight classes, Paralympics).
  • Explain how governance failures affect the ethical evaluation of doping.
  • Describe Rawlsian concerns about distribution of social goods and how they relate to sport.
  • Discuss policy implications: reasons for bans, reasons for cautious liberalization, and governance reforms needed.

Concise takeaways

  • The ethical debate over doping hinges on what we believe sport should reward: raw performance, cultivated virtue, or natural talent.
  • Sport already uses classifications to make competition fairer, which complicates absolutist claims for or against enhancement.
  • Strong governance and a clear moral rationale are essential to resolve doping debates and prevent exploitation.