So there was yet another recent article in the Guardian about how technology has an effect on social practices. Currently, performance drugs are banned in sport and are considered cheating. However, a sort of techno-transhumanist wants to innovate and see how far we can push the body through intervention:
Grotesque Enhanced Games removes brain barrier in quest to get running | Barney Ronay
The idea is, rather than banning performance technology, we ought to have a free for all and see how fast, strong etc, humans can get…
So, why do we think it is cheating?
Well sporting performance is an excellence and we want to celebrate natural luck in human beings (like beauty, intelligence etc.) Taking drugs is cheating…
However, advanced countries have massively unfair training programmes. Surely this is unfair as well? And children with better diets will excel at sports when young…
Then, there is a difference between achievement and labour and short cuts — we tend to think if you take drugs that make you run more quickly you have not “earned” the reward, a bit like doing an examination and just searching the answers off the internet.
What do you think? Is it a matter of justice?