The Pros And Cons Of Gamesmanship And Sportsmanship

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Throughout the course of my studies in the applied ethics area, specifically focusing on the Ethics of Sport, I will be arguing the unethical use of performance enhancing drugs and exactly why they should be banned. Based upon gamesmanship and sportsmanship, virtue ethics, and a combination of permissible logical reason to ban, it is nearly astounding that these drugs are still accepted among many members of society.

Section I: Gamesmanship vs. Sportsmanship and the Boundaries of Ethics To interact with many arguments for Ethics of Sport, it is first of all very important to have a general view or definition of ethics in itself; I can define ethics as a moral principle or group or principles that make up a person’s or a group’s behavior. In class we determined ethics to be the way in which an individual should act and consideration of right versus wrong. Along with this, morality is basically at the root of ethics. Morality can be defined by the distinction between right and wrong behavior. All of which leads me to the definitions separating the meaning of gamesmanship and sportsmanship, all in regards to the relation of ethics. …show more content…

In order to gain the competitive edge and the overall advantage, adjusting the rules to fit your benefit, is completely acceptable. The thought is that it’s only wrong if you get caught and that you are justified for cheating because of the end result (winning). Some examples of gamesmanship include adjusting / tampering with equipment, causing pain upon an opponent behind the referees back, lying about eligibility, and the use of performance enhancing drugs. Clearly if you tie the ideas of gamesmanship into the definition of ethics, the use of cheats and deceptions is morally and ethically

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