Timed Writing #3

dangerous sport

risk central human functional capabilities

e-sports and danger

high risk of low-yield injuries

normal human life (4)

live to end of normal length life

good health

move freely from place to place

use senses to imagine, think, and reason in a human way

CTE

degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head impacts

reason to play dangerous sport 1:

problems

public recognition and glory

more people don’t get this recognition, the fact that you get recognition suggests there’s already something valuable about the sport

instrumental value

valuable because it gets you something else valuable

intrinsic value

valueable in itself

reason to play dangerous sport 2:

problems

pleasure and satisfaction

why not just do things that aren’t dangerous but still give pleasure

reason to play dangerous sport 3:

problems

breed courage

is it courage or recklessness

reason to play dangerous sport 4:

problems

outlet for aggression

are they an outlet or do they encourage aggression

Russel view

intrinsic value to danger in sport

learn limits under conditions of duress and danger - satisfaction

self-affirmation

living in the moment

three-pronged approach to ethics of football

harm to players

objectification of the players

harm to others done by the players

when can CTE be diagnosed

autopsy

symptoms of CTE

memory loss, impaired judgement, progressive dementia

harm principle

only interfere with decisions cof competent, consenting adults if they are harming others

counterarguments to nothing is wrong with football due to harm principle

stop kids from playing

can players properly consent without all info about brain injuries

slavery analogy

slavery analogy

should you have the freedom to sell yourself into slavery?

no because then you would no longer have freedom

freedom maximized by not having freedom to sell yourself into slavery

-> serious brain injury from football = lose ability to make free choices -> max freedom by not allowing people to play football

plantation problem

huge amounts of money made off work of black athletes who barely profit

response to plantation problem

college athletes paid in room, board, education

critics of culture of football

football values aggression, violence, and masculinity

violence and football

males who accept that they will get injuries from sport are more likely to engage in outside physical aggression

why has youth football decreased

increased awareness of risks

benefits of children in risky sports

optimal development - risk assessment and management skills - courage, perserverance, resilience

Findler view

youth football is not a reasonable risk

NFL rules to manage head injuries

no tackling during offseason

only 14 full-contact practices during regular season

youth rules to manage head injuries

no national rules

natural behavior used to justifu youth football

counterargument

children and animals have natural inclination toward risky play

natural does not mean permissible

most compelling argument for allowing physical risk to child

the world is physically dangerous, child needs to learn

argument against the benefits that danger provides children - kids like risky play

are these cases analogous to football

its not clear that dangers of football are needed to teach these skills

head injuries undermine decisions and risk management

selt affimation

pressing boundaries and defining self understandings