Discussion Involving Ethics and the Dilemmas Arising Out of It - Research Paper Example

Introduction: Any discussion involving ethics and the dilemmas arising out of it can be quite complicated or complex. This is because the question ofethics in any field has to be viewed according to several viewpoints. They include religious beliefs and customs, social practices that have evolved over the years, personal values and viewpoints, laws and statutes etc. Moreover, there is also the question of diversity that may exist from country to country or region to region that further complicate matters. But in any case, the question of ethics is taken into account in practically all the fields of human endeavor in a civilized society. When such questions come up, dilemmas can crop up as to whether a particular action is proper or improper with reference to the above mentioned viewpoints. This paper looks at the ethical dilemma of including those sportspersons who use steroids in sports in their respective ‘Hall of Fames’. In the process, the paper will take into account ethical theories and dilemmas, social, religious, and legal viewpoints before arriving at a conclusion. Overview of the topic: In the United States (and many other countries) sportsmen and women are honored for their outstanding achievements by inducting them into the hall of fame. It appears that there is a ‘hall of fame’ for practically every recognized sport including events like athletics, baseball, football, gymnastics, and soccer. There are some acts that are commonly seen as unethical universally and it includes the use of steroids in sports. Again there are some sport events that are unique to a region or country that may raise the question of ethics elsewhere. For example, the one of the most popular sporting past time in Spain is bull fighting. It is a cruel sport and will be considered to be unethical according to religious, social and personal viewpoints in many other regions. But it is not considered to be illegal or unethical in the country. Violating the rules of a particular game or sport will be an example of an act that is universally considered to be unethical. This also holds good for the use of steroids (anabolic steroids) for improving personal performance in sports. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the use of such steroids results in the increase of testosterone which can improve physical strength of a person who uses them. This hormone can drastically improve the muscle mass of a male or female athlete giving them an advantage over other competitors not accustomed to its use. The department states that “the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and many professional sports leagues (e.g. Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League) have banned the use of steroids by athletes, both because of their potential dangerous side effects and because they give the user an unfair advantage” (Legislation). A comprehensive list of banned substances (steroids) has been provided in Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act of 1991. Similar statutes have been introduced by most countries that have membership in international associations like the IOC. This section covered the basic legal aspects of the issue and there will no objection from any quarters as to banning a sportsperson from being inducted into the hall of fame in case of guilty of using steroids. So, it is clear from a legal or statutory viewpoint that the use of such steroids is an ethical issue that there is no room for an ethical dilemma once a person has been found to use such substances. Ethical issues and theories: There are many ethical theories that can be used to justify or oppose the use of steroids in sports. According to Devettere, the primary consideration as to whether ethics can become a factor in a particular act is about choices. So, “ethics is concerned with what we chose to do intentionally or on purpose. Ethics is not concerned with what people do accidently or unintentionally, even if these behaviors cause bad things” (Devettere 2000, 1). From this concept, it appears that ethics and ethical dilemma is all about choices. The author states that stepping on another person’s foot in a crowded elevator cannot be unethical. If it was done unintentionally without any personal or profit motive in mind a question of ethics would not be taken into account. In other words, if a sportsperson had intentionally and with full knowledge, taken the banned substances, he or she is subject to unethical behavior. On the other hand, if it was done without the knowledge of the person, the question of ethics takes a different turn. There are also other who identify ethics with morality. What is moral is ethical and anything immoral is unethical. So, the inclusion of sport persons who have intentionally or even unintentionally taken banned substances can be a subject of debate with respect to ethical behavior. It is relevant to review theories that have been developed on the topic in this instance. The concept of absolutism states that the ruler has the absolute or conclusive say in an outcome of any act. In a sense it deals with the divine right of kings to make their own rules to suit their own personal preferences. It should be stated that this theory has no relevance in a democratic environment. The United States or any other nation does not give the right to any official or employee such rights to override any moral, statutory, or social practices. Utilitarianism is a concept primarily developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. They “agued that the best decisions (a) generate the most benefits as compared with their disadvantages, and (b) benefit the largest number of people (Johnson 2004, 130). They also state that there is no specific way to act or take decisions and the ethics will depend of specific circumstances of each case. For example, lying need not be necessarily against ethics if it is for the common good of the people. Their views also indicate that acting unethically against one person is okay if it benefits a larger section of the society. Determinism on the other hand takes a fatalistic or pessimistic view on the ability of the human race in general. It states that every event or decision is based upon past events, experiences, and antecedents. In other words everything is connected to the past and nothing new or innovative will take place in the society. Another relevant offshoot of this line of thought is concept of economic determinism as developed by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. They bring in a new dimension to the concept by stating that every activity and decision by human beings is based on economic consideration. So instead of antecedents, it is money and economics that control human behavior and this is disadvantageous to the poorer sections of the society. This in essence will lead to exploitation of the masses by rich capitalists. Kantian ethics also is grounded in the concept of morality and duty. Each person’s actions should be based on moral principles and his or her duty in social and professional life. This approach towards morality and duty can cause conflicts with one’s emotions and the former should prevail. Aristotle also states that any action must be for the good of the society and the consequences of one’s actions should always be good and moral. Ego is another factor that has influenced human decisions over the years and Freud, the father of modern psychology has definitive views on this area. There are three areas of brain activity according to him namely the id, the ego and the superego. It is also believed that the mind develops in sequence with regard to the above three brain activities. The id seeks instant gratification like in the case of a child, while the ego is more grounded in reality. This in a way counters the childish behavior and looks at the feelings and needs of other people also. The superego involves higher levels of thought like morality and parental/social upbringing. Freud states the ego is the balancing factor between the id and the superego (Houghton 2009, 27). In this context, it would be worthwhile to consider the concept of ethical egoism which is a combination of ethics and ego. Ethical egoism states that any activity or decision by a person “should seek as an end only that individuals own welfare. The idea here is that an individuals own welfare is the only thing that is ultimately valuable for that individual” (Ethical egoism 2009). But this line of thought adds that egoism need not be harmful to the ‘other person’ in spite of being a selfish act or decision. If a person thinks that the welfare of others is beneficial to one’s own welfare, he or she can make decisions that is mutually beneficial or those that are symbiotic in nature. Even if commercial interests are taken into consideration, ethical egoism can result in actions that are beneficial to other members of the society if the decision maker is intent on his or her (selfish) interest in helping others. Steroids and ethics: A career in sports is for any person is can be a highly lucrative career if managed properly. It can also be an ego trip combined with a national pride. In that sense, a sportsperson may be excused for using steroids for achieving fame and glory for national and personal achievement. But as mentioned before there are many perspectives to be considered when the concept of taking steroids to improve performance. The one factor that is to be considered mainly is the ego that motivates people to be included in the hall of fame. Freud states that the id and the ego motivate people to do things that may be unethical in order to satisfy their personal ambitions. This could motivate sportspersons to resort to unethical behavior in an effort to become champions. Bentham states that any decision should be beneficial to most number of people. In that sense, a champion is a sense of pride to the people of a region or a nation and can justify the use of steroids. Ethical egoism and its offshoot of economical egoism also support the use of steroids in sports. There is no disputing the fact that famous sport personalities have commercial and business advantages. Discussion: Theories on ethics probably promote the use of steroids in sports in the sense that an act should benefit the most people. An achievement in sports is an issue of national pride and hence will benefit most people. Ethical theories, in other words do support the use of steroids or any other thing that improve performance in sports or any other field as long as it is beneficial for the people at large. In that sense, ethical theories do provide a rationale for the use of steroids. The concept of scientific advancement has now come into consideration in this regard. But the use of any substance that is chemically or biologically harmful to the body for the sake of fame is not ethical. Conclusion: Social and ethical theories specify the importance of benefit to maximum number of people. In that sense, there is nothing wrong with taking steroids. If a person or his/her nation has the capability to provide the necessary steroids to improve performance, there is nothing according to ethical theories to prevent the use of steroids to prevent an athlete into an entry in the hall of fame. References Devettere, R 2000, Practical decision making in health care ethics: cases and concepts, 2nd edn, Georgetown University Press Ethical egoism 2009, Lander University, Viewed 30 October 2009, Houghton, D. P 2009, Political psychology: situations, individuals, and cases, Taylor and Francis Johnson, C.E 2004, Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light Or Shadow, 2nd edn, Sage Publications Legislation, 2006. US Drug Enforcement Administration, Viewed 11 November 2009, < http://149.101.225.20/dea/concern/steroids.html> Read More