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Should doping be allowed in sport? Should doping be allowed in sport?
Yes, doping should be allowed Yes, doping should be allowed
No, doping should not be allowed in sport No, doping should not be allowed in sport
Some doping should be allowed Some doping should be allowed
Doping has always been a part of sport Doping has always been a part of sport
Doping is allowed in other segments of the entertainment industry Doping is allowed in other segments of the entertainment industry
Doping would make sport more about talent and less about genetics Doping would make sport more about talent and less about genetics
Doping would remove many financial barriers to elite level sport Doping would remove many financial barriers to elite level sport
Doping would make sport safer Doping would make sport safer
Policing doping is futile Policing doping is futile
Doping would make sport more interesting Doping would make sport more interesting
Doping poses a health risk to athletes Doping poses a health risk to athletes
Doping runs counter to the spirit of professional sport Doping runs counter to the spirit of professional sport
Children are involved in elite competitive sport Children are involved in elite competitive sport
Doping would turn sport into a race to concoct the most powerful drug Doping would turn sport into a race to concoct the most powerful drug
Not all drugs are created equal Not all drugs are created equal
Doping can be used to level the playing field Doping can be used to level the playing field
Debate Mini Map

Should doping be allowed in sport?
Back to question

No, doping should not be allowed in sport

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Doping runs counter to the spirit of professional sport

At the heart of professional sport is the spirit of fair play. Doping removes any notion of fair play.
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Context

The spirit of sport is about fair competition, excellence in performance, and determination. Performance-enhancing drugs and doping run counter to these values, and therefore, the essence of sport.

The Argument

The essence of sport is to provide entertainment through fair competition. The competitors that excel in their field, either through talent, hard work, determination, or biology, are afforded the opportunity to prove themselves against their peers. Doping undermines this entire premise of sport. It provides some competitors with an unnatural advantage, destroying the notion of fair competition, and unfairly penalizing those that put in the hard work to excel in their discipline.

Counter arguments

Fair competition is only a fringe component of modern sport. While fair competition governs the rules of the game, it has no bearing on who can participate or not. If it did, those with a genetic advantage over other competitors would also be prohibited, as would those from wealthy backgrounds that could access better training and resources. Performance-enhancing drugs afford some athletes an edge in the same way wealth and genetics do. If anything, they may help close the performance gap between competitors from more affluent backgrounds and poorer backgrounds. Therefore, while competitive sport allows participants from all resource backgrounds and genetic predisposition to compete, it should allow doping.

Framing

Fair competition is part of the essence of sport.

Premises

[P1] Fair competition is part of the spirit of professional sport. [P2] Doping removes the element of fair competition. [P3] Therefore, doping goes against the spirit of professional sport. [P4] Therefore, doping should not be permitted in professional sport.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Fair competition is not a critical component of professional sport.

References

This page was last edited on Sunday, 14 Jun 2020 at 19:38 UTC

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