Doping Aristotle

Question 1

Pro ban:

Answer 1

• respect for the game
• unfair advantage
• harms (esp. health)
• coercion
• unintended consequences

Question 2

Anti-ban:

Answer 2

• unwarranted paternalism
• singling out drugs is inconsistent
• unfairness, coercion, and harm arguments lack force

Question 3

Aristotle describes the golden mean as a state…

Answer 3

intermediate between excess and deficiency

Question 4

Golden mean is not an _____.

Answer 4

average

Question 5

Golden mean is relative to the ______, thus cannot be ______ _____.

Answer 5

• individual

- generalized mathematically

Question 6

When we act from the golden mean, we act ______.

Answer 6

virtuously

Question 7

Acting from excess or deficiency is a _____.

Answer 7

vice

Question 8

Aristotle’s concept of the golden mean: deficiency, balance, excess examples:

Answer 8

• cowardice, courage, rashness
• sloth, ambition, greed
• humility, modesty, pride
• apathy, composure, irritability
• indecisiveness, self control, impulsiveness

Question 9

Eudaimonia:

Answer 9

• ultimate purpose in life

- activity of the soul in accord with complete virtue

Question 10

Seek _____ through _____ actions in line with the ____ ____.

Answer 10

• eudaimonia
• virtuous
• golden mean

Question 11

Does the mean apply to everything?

Answer 11

• some actions are just ethical in themselves so to diminish them in search for a mean is wrong (love, friendship)
• some actions are just unethical in themselves and have no mean (murder, adultery)
• if it is just wrong, there is no mean

Question 12

Wrong question with regards to doping:

Answer 12

• is it acceptable to cheat by using banned substances?

- asking whether following rules is ethical

Question 13

Right question with regards to doping:

Answer 13

• is the ban on doping justified?

- examining the rules

Question 14

Purpose in life is to seek _____. It is the ____ of our activity.

Answer 14

• eudaimonia

- telos

Question 15

Virtues are important for 2 reasons:

Answer 15

• they promote eudaimonia

- they stitch together our quest for purpose (telos)

Question 16

Eudaimonia must be _____. It is not enough to ….

Answer 16

• practiced

- know what is virtuous

Question 17

3 positions in golden mean:

Answer 17

• deficiency
• excess
• moderation

Question 18

First attitude:

Answer 18

winning

Question 19

Deficient, excessive, and moderate positions with winning:

Answer 19

• deficient: indifference
• excessive: fanatic
• moderate: caring

Question 20

Is the ban justified with winning?

Answer 20

• justified to guard against fanaticism
• unnecessary at the deficient position
• possibly unnecessary at the moderate position

Question 21

Second attitude:

Answer 21

agency

Question 22

Deficient, excessive, and moderate positions with agency:

Answer 22

• deficient: determinism
• excessive: radical freedom
• moderate: constrained freedom

Question 23

Is the ban justified with agency?

Answer 23

• supported at the excessive end to protect the freedom of human agency
• bans are irrelevant at the deficient end
• drugs could be used from the moderate position. Case by case assessment of whether agency is unduly compromised

Question 24

Third attitude:

Answer 24

health and harm

Question 25

Deficient, excessive, and moderate positions with health and harm:

Answer 25

- deficient: cowardice - excessive: rashness - moderate: courage

Question 26

Is the ban justified with health and harm?

Answer 26

- supported at the rash end - unnecessary at the cowardice end - unnecessary at the courage point, but for different reasons (athletes may still dope, but responsibly. Bans preclude athletes from showing courage)

Question 27

Fourth attitude:

Answer 27

quality of performance

Question 28

Deficient, excessive, and moderate positions with quality of performance:

Answer 28

- deficient: mediocrity - excessive: perfection - moderate: excellence

Question 29

Is the ban justified with quality of performance?

Answer 29

- justified because perfection is termination for sport and so bans are needed - unneeded at the mediocrity end - likely unneeded for a virtuous athlete who would weigh various strategies before choosing which assists her more in attaining excellence

Question 30

If we engage in sport as these types of individuals, then the ban becomes relevant but unnecessary:

Answer 30

- want (but not have) to win - are modest (but not boastful) about human agency and merit - are courages (but not foolish or rash) regarding the risks in sport - are perpetually in search of excellence (but avoid the siren call of perfectionism)

Question 31

If we are athletes at the golden mean, any harm done by doping would be ____ and thus any good from _____ _____ is minimal, and the ___ greater.

Answer 31

- moderate - paternalistic interventions - harm

Question 32

_____ athletes do not need a ban.

Answer 32

virtuous

Question 33

Is sport virtuous today?

Answer 33

- no - winning honourably is not as important as winning - cheating is rewarded as long as it results in the W - many athletes see sport as a job not a passion

Question 34

Until athletes become _____, the ban is likely _____.

Answer 34

- virtuous | - needed

Question 35

______ _____ rules are okay.

Answer 35

voluntary paternalistic

Question 36

Former WADA director Dick Pound says:

Answer 36

- sport is governed by all sorts of agreed upon arbitrary rules - get over it - you can opt out of them so you are free - athletes do not have the right to question those rules

Question 37

In terms of freedom, consider:

Answer 37

- athletes must give up the choice to abide by the rules | - the consent given to enter sports is valid

Question 38

WADA strives also to _____ _____ athletes, in the sense that they are not entitled to question the _____ of the doping regulations laid down by sport governing bodies. this cannot be justified _____.

Answer 38

- educate uncritical athletes - foundation - paternalism

Question 39

WADA's information is directed toward ____ of doping not on the ....

Answer 39

- risks | - best way to prevent harm from doping

Question 40

Athletes are told the only way to prevent harm is to...

Answer 40

surrender their autonomy

Question 41

WADA threatens...

Answer 41

do what I tell you are else you're gone

Question 42

_____ is not grounds for freely given consent.

Answer 42

coercion

Question 43

From a contractualist position, it seems WADA is...

Answer 43

unethical because it coerces athletes

Question 44

A focus on ____ ethics shifts the debate.

Answer 44

virtue

Question 45

Maybe WADA should be...

Answer 45

- encouraging athletes to become virtuous - devote some effort at promoting eudaimonia - if it was successful at this, the ban could be lifted