New at Reason

Tim Cavanaugh | February 2, 2005

Ronald Bailey rises up from his wheelchair, takes out his false teeth, does an incredible 80-yard broken field run, and while doing a tasteless (yet somehow sexy) endzone dance, says "Go ahead and work those genes, athletes of the future!"

Comments

|2.2.05 @ 7:30PM|#

But, but, but, it's cheating!!!!!

Oh, and, think of the children.

|2.3.05 @ 2:04AM|#

From the article:A playing field on which everyone has optimized their physical abilities would become an arena in which true grit, determination, and character come to the fore.

And when neuroscience has produced an accurate model of the brain, what then?

Two For One Special: Merck's Ethicsogen & Empathic Personality. Only $19.95!!

Note: Don't cheat by taking more than once daily.

|2.3.05 @ 1:24PM|#

Sporting *competition* (as opposed to just for fun sports) has always been a power struggle. The power of those born with it, the power of those who had the time to train, or the discoveries of better training techniques, or the money to pay better trainers, or the whatever to get better drugs, etc.

These are contests of physical prowess-- the most basic application of force! Power struggles pure and simple. (Again, fun activities where everyone simply appreciates the process of games and the prowess of those who are good at something, is a little different.)

Blood doping, steroids, and so on are just different contests: human beings are competing not just about who was born with the best body for Sport X and who trained the most effectively, but for, in addition, who can tweak the most cleverly. I don't think it's immoral at all, it is just a different contest. Like natural vs. steroid bodybuilding: they each have a different point.

As long as everyone is clear and compliant about which type they want to compete in we wouldn't have a problem. It's not really about 'who can run the fastest', it's 'who can run the fastest without using these banned techniques'. If you compete in the contest and break the rules, you're ruining it for everyone. However, payoff in endorsements may be your temptation.

In the spirit of disclosure, I use illegal ginko so I can comment on Reason boards, and I slightly OD on lithium so I can be this pompous.