14 Week Ten - Ethical Dilemmas in Sport

14.1 Introduction

Ethics in sport is a complex subject that highlights the challenges arising from the competitive nature and objectives of sport.

For example:

Doping brings up questions about fair competition and the extent athletes may go to achieve victory.
Corruption involves match-fixing, bribery, and questionable administrative conduct, all of which compromise sporting integrity.
Exploitation, particularly of athletes, is another major concern, highlighting issues around athlete welfare and organisational responsibility.

Recent incidents in sport,underline ongoing complexities in sporting ethics, and open discussions on topics such as ‘therapeutic use’ exemptions and the duty of care organisations owe to athletes.

This week our objective is not only to understand these ethical issues but also to explore potential solutions and think about future implications for sport from philosophical, sociological, and practical perspectives.

Takeaway

Ethics in sport are not just about rules; they reflect broader cultural, philosophical, and societal values.

Key Questions

By the end of this week’s lecture, you should be able to answer the following questions:

How have ethics in sport evolved from Ancient Greece to today?
What philosophies shape the ethics of fairness, competition, and virtue in sport?
What are the key ethical challenges facing sport today?
How do cultural differences influence ethics in sport?

Themes

This week’s lecture is organised around four themes:

Historical Evolution of Sporting Ethics
Philosophical Basis of Sporting Ethics
Contemporary Issues in Sport
Cultural Differences in Ethics

Concepts

Within these four themes, we’ll encounter the following concepts:

Theories

We’ll also learn about the following theories:

Kantian Ethics (Kant)
Ethics of Care (Gilligan)

14.2 Discussion Questions

In small groups, we’ll discuss four questions. For the assessment task this week, choose one of these and upload a short summary of your group’s discussion.

Evolution

How do you think the ethical principles established in Ancient Greece still influence modern sport, and where do you see significant differences?

Philosophical basis

Do you believe fairness in sport should prioritise following the rules (deontological) or achieving the best outcomes for all (consequentialist)? Why?

Contemporary dilemmas

How should sporting organisations balance the mental well-being of athletes with the pressures of maintaining high performance and commercial interests?

Cultural differences

Can a universal ethical code for sport exist, or should cultural differences always take precedence? Why?

14.3 Reading

All reading for the module can be accessed via the module reading list on myplace.

Preparatory Reading

You should read the following paper before this week’s lecture:

Livingston. (2010). Sport ethics - An oxymoron? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13, e87–e87.

14.4 Lecture Outline

Today’s lecture is structured as follows:

Topic 1: Evolution

a. Ethics and values in Ancient Greece

Sport in Ancient Greece tied to personal excellence (arete) and honour.
Competitions like Olympics reflected both physical and moral ideals.
Rooted in religion and civic tradition, sport balanced body and mind.
Key principles included ‘fair play’, ‘discipline’, and ‘respect’ for opponents.
These values laid foundation for modern ethical approaches in sport.

b. The emergence of modern sport

Sport evolved from informal activities to organised global competitions.
19th-century ideals celebrated amateurism and playing for love of the game.
Professionalisation brought new ethical questions around fairness.
The shift in ethos introduced debates over commercialisation and exploitation.
This evolution highlights tensions between tradition and progress in sport.

c. Organisations and ethics

Governing bodies act as ethical ‘guardians’ of sport.
They promote sportsmanship, centred on respect for rules and fairness.
Organisations like the IOC reflect broader societal values and challenges.
Ethical principles often clash with political and commercial pressures.
This dual role creates ongoing tensions in upholding sporting integrity.

Topic 2: Philosophical Basis

a. Moral theories in sport

Ethics in sport can follow deontological (rules-based) or consequentialist (outcome-based) approaches.
Deontological ethics values actions like following rules, regardless of results.
Consequentialist ethics focuses on outcomes, such as fairness or safety.

b. Values in sport

Sport embodies competition, fairness, and respect for rules.
‘Fair play’ is central to ethical sportsmanship and ensures equality.
Values in sport reflect the culture and society in which they are played.
These principles make sport a mirror of broader ethical and social norms.

c. The idea of ‘winning’

Winning can reflect excellence, growth, and mastery, not just scores.
Philosophical views challenge the focus on results over the journey.
External rewards (trophies) and internal rewards (self-improvement) differ.
Winning should align with integrity and honourable means.

d. ‘Virtue ethics’

Focuses on developing character and moral traits over just following rules.
Rooted in Aristotle’s principles, promoting qualities like courage and humility.
Encourages holistic growth—physical, moral, and emotional.
Virtue ethics highlights sport’s potential to shape ethical individuals.

Topic 3: Contemporary Dilemmas

a. Performance enhancement

Doping challenges fairness and core values of equality.
Raises ethical questions about natural talent vs. artificial aid.
The Olympic philosophy opposes such enhancements as anti-ethical.
Blurred lines exist between legitimate performance optimisation and doping.

b. Economic challenges

Commercialisation prioritises profit, often at the cost of fairness.
Sponsorship and media influence can create inequalities in access.
Ethical concerns arise over exploiting athletes for commercial gain.
Grassroots sport suffers funding disparities due to these pressures.

c. Mental health

Athletes face pressures of performance, fame, and public scrutiny.
Mental health issues like anxiety and burnout are prevalent.
Ethical responsibility lies with organisations to provide support.
Encouraging open conversations can destigmatise mental health in sport.

d. Equality in sport

Gender, race, and socioeconomic barriers persist in sport.
Policies and investment are needed to ensure equal opportunities.
Equality fosters shared values and builds stronger community bonds.
Social capital reflects sport’s potential to empower and connect.

Topic 4: Cultural Differences

a. Ethical values in different cultures

Different societies prioritise unique values in sport.
Western traditions emphasise competition and individualism.
Eastern cultures often value discipline, harmony, and respect.
These frameworks influence how ethical principles are applied in sport.

b. Globalisation and sporting ethics

Globalisation mixes diverse cultural values in sport.
‘Glocalisation’ adapts global sports to local traditions.
Raises debates about cultural appropriation and power imbalances.
A shared ethical approach must respect both local and global values.

c. Cultural relativism in sporting ethics

Ethics in sport vary across cultures and contexts.
Cultural relativism respects these differences in values and traditions.
Universal ethics promote shared principles like fairness and integrity.
Balancing relativism and universality is a key challenge in global sport.