Sports may be the fun and games department of modern society, but they are not without serious ethical questions and issues. In “Ethics of Sport,” a number of these are examined closely, from the importance placed on winning and violence in competition to gender equity, cheating, and doping. The person providing the moral compass in this case is Robert L. Simon, a former philosophy professor and golf coach at Hamilton College in New York State, who is the past president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport.
Here’s an excerpt from The Ethics of Sport:
“Sports authorities have the duty to protect the integrity of their sport by prohibiting innovations that in their view significantly reduce the challenge of the sport. In the 2009 World Swimming Championships at Rome, numerous world records were set by swimmers wearing full-body seamless polyurethane swimsuits. In fact, some brands seemed to perform better than others, but swimmers were not able to switch to the most efficient brand because of contractual relationships with other companies. The suits basically reduced the drag in the water, enabling wearers to post significantly better times in their events without necessarily swimming any better than before. Not surprisingly, use of the suits in major competitions was banned in 2010.”