The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?

A special issue of Philosophies (ISSN 2409-9287).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2020) | Viewed by 15373

Special Issue Editors

Department of Law, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: sport ethics; sport governance; human enhancement; better regulation
Department of KinesiologyThe Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Interests: sport ethics; philosophy of games; doping; human enhancement
Department of Law, Pompeu Fabra University, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: philosophy of sport; sport ethics; sport governance; equality in sport; the future of sport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few decades, technological progress has produced profound changes in humans’ view of technology. Technology has increased humans’ desire for improvement, helping them reach goals that were completely unattainable for earlier generations and only present in science fiction works. Advances in genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, nanotechnology, and biomedicine promise to allow humans to modify their genetic code, clone themselves, create hybrid beings, and connect computers to biological elements in the human organism. These advances could lead humans into a transhuman phase, where the radical alteration of their physical and psychological capacities would be possible. The creation of transhuman beings would likely affect sport. Given the difficulty of knowing the long-term effects on sport of these technological advances, in this Special Issue, we aim to explore potential short- and medium-term changes, which would be greater than the ones that have occurred since the creation of modern sport in the 19th century. Contributions to this Special Issue, thus, will explore challenges that technological progress poses to the notions of purity (of the sport, the body, and performance) and integrity (personal and sporting).

Dr. José Luis Pérez-Triviño
Dr. Francisco Javier Lopez Frias
Dr. Alberto Carrio Sampedro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • technology
  • human enhancement
  • integrity
  • equality
  • governance

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 399 KiB  
Article
Sport and Enhancement in the Age of Human Rights: Genetic Testing as a Case Study
by Silvia Salardi
Philosophies 2021, 6(1), 17; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/philosophies6010017 - 19 Feb 2021
Viewed by 2683
Abstract
The paper focuses on the ethical–legal implications of a specific area of scientific and technological progress for the recognition of sport as a human right, which is the field of genetic advances with regard to application of genetic testing for non-medical purposes, and [...] Read more.
The paper focuses on the ethical–legal implications of a specific area of scientific and technological progress for the recognition of sport as a human right, which is the field of genetic advances with regard to application of genetic testing for non-medical purposes, and in particular for talent identification (genetic talent identification). As with most biomedical innovations, this use of genetic tests has both constructive and more ethical–legal problematic implications. The attempt made by this paper is to highlight controversial implications of genetic talent identification tests for the recognition of sport as human right. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?)
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12 pages, 247 KiB  
Article
Performance Enhancement and the Spirit of the Dance. Non Zero Sum
by Blanca Rodríguez López
Philosophies 2020, 5(4), 46; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/philosophies5040046 - 17 Dec 2020
Viewed by 2029
Abstract
The current anti-doping policy in sports has enormous costs in economic, social, and human terms. As these costs are likely to become even bigger with the advent of bioenhancing technologies, in this paper I analyze the reasons for this policy. In order to [...] Read more.
The current anti-doping policy in sports has enormous costs in economic, social, and human terms. As these costs are likely to become even bigger with the advent of bioenhancing technologies, in this paper I analyze the reasons for this policy. In order to clarify this issue, I compare sports with dance, an activity that has many similarities with sports but where there are no bans on performance enhancers. Considering the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) criteria for banning a substance, we argue that two of them, the potential to enhance performance and the risk for health, are similar in dance and sports, thus I claim that the difference had to be in the so-called “spirit” of sports and dance. After looking into this matter and analyzing the special case of dancesport, I conclude that the main difference can be found in the competitive character of sports and the subsequent concern about competitive justice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?)
10 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
The Natural-Artificial Distinction and the Technologization of Sport
by Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza
Philosophies 2020, 5(4), 28; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/philosophies5040028 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3205
Abstract
The natural-artificial distinction is not only an abstract metaphysical question dedicated to classifying and differentiating between entities and phenomena that occur in nature from man-made objects. The distinction between the natural and the artificial is central to the philosophy of technology and an [...] Read more.
The natural-artificial distinction is not only an abstract metaphysical question dedicated to classifying and differentiating between entities and phenomena that occur in nature from man-made objects. The distinction between the natural and the artificial is central to the philosophy of technology and an interesting heuristic to discuss important notions about the growing process of technologization in sport. For example, if one accepts the natural-artificial distinction, one is against any genetic intervention to improve sports performance because one would consider it unnatural. In this article, I present an argument against the natural-artificial distinction and defend the ethical permissibility of the technologization of sport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?)
11 pages, 219 KiB  
Article
Internal Values of Sport and Bio-Technologized Sport
by Matija Mato Škerbić
Philosophies 2020, 5(4), 26; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/philosophies5040026 - 03 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
The aim of the paper is confronting internal or intrinsic values of sport detected by different sport-philosophers, such as W. J. Morgan, J. S. Russell, R. L. Simon, N. Dixon, S. Kretchmar, to today’s bio-technologized sports in order to find the ethical guidance [...] Read more.
The aim of the paper is confronting internal or intrinsic values of sport detected by different sport-philosophers, such as W. J. Morgan, J. S. Russell, R. L. Simon, N. Dixon, S. Kretchmar, to today’s bio-technologized sports in order to find the ethical guidance for (non)acceptance of new bio-technologies in sport. Thus, in the first part, I will produce an overview of the internal values of sport in the sports-philosophical literature. In the second part, I will provide my understanding of ‘bio-technologized sports’, leaning mostly on W. J. Morgan’s and S. Loland’s previous work in this regard. In the third part, I will show that the key internal value of sport is ‘excellence’ and that the perfectionist account of sport dominates high-level professional competitive sports. However, I will show that ‘excellence’ is prone to different interpretations and understandings which (could) have different implications for the ‘bio-technologized sport’. Finally, I will propose going back to Aristotle and his account of eudaimonia to build principles for the regulation of (non)acceptance of bio-technology in sport. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?)
13 pages, 235 KiB  
Article
Disruptive Technologies and the Sport Ecosystem: A Few Ethical Questions
by Migle Laukyte
Philosophies 2020, 5(4), 24; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/philosophies5040024 - 02 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3818
Abstract
The paper addresses the impact of disruptive technologies on the sport ecosystem, represented by four constitutive elements: athletes, coaches, judges, and fans. In particular, the paper argues that to understand the changes introduced by Artificial Intelligence, biotechnologies, and other disruptive technologies, we have [...] Read more.
The paper addresses the impact of disruptive technologies on the sport ecosystem, represented by four constitutive elements: athletes, coaches, judges, and fans. In particular, the paper argues that to understand the changes introduced by Artificial Intelligence, biotechnologies, and other disruptive technologies, we have to look at this sport ecosystem as a whole and ask ethical questions related to how each of these elements—and not just the athlete—is affected by them. The paper discusses some of the real-life applications of disruptive technologies that are being currently introduced within different sports and works out their most critical aspects both in terms of positive and negative impact on the sport ecosystem as we know it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Biotechnology: A New Paradigm in Sport?)
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