Steroids and Baseball
John Fischer

07 April 2005

I do not want to distract us from the "heavy" (no pun intended) issues to which we have devoted our attention recently, but, what with the opening of baseball season and all, I thought I'd ask you to think about the following. Steroids (of the sorts used by some players and other athletes) apparently have serious health side-effects. For that reason it certainly seems reaonable to ban their use. But now suppose our wonderful pharmaceutical companies could develop side-effect free steroids--comparable medicines with (by stipulation) no bad health effects. Under such a scenario (admittedly implausible), would it still be reasonable to ban their use? Why exactly?

我相信约翰和肯在哲学演讲中邀请了著名的康德和棒球学者艾伦·伍德来讨论棒球,但不幸的是,我还没有听过那一集;中国伊朗亚洲杯比赛直播I'll check out the archive at Philosophytalk.org.

Meanwhile, cheers, and Play Ball!

Comments(20)


Guest's picture

Guest

Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

Wouldn't these side-effect free steroids just be t

Wouldn't these side-effect free steroids just be the kind of thing we now call vitamins or medicines? If they are allowed to drink Gatorade...
There are plenty of performance-enhancing-drugs ballplayers use all the time, as do all other people in modern societies, and it would be odd to ban them all.

Guest's picture

Guest

Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

对的,布莱恩。That is one thing in the back of my

对的,布莱恩。这是我脑海中挥之不去的一件事。此外,现在的举重训练设备比贝比·鲁斯(Babe Ruth)和汉克·艾伦(Hank Aaron)的时代要好得多,等等。因此,这似乎是一个非常严重的滑坡……

Guest's picture

Guest

Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

"Steroids (of the sorts used by some players and o

"Steroids (of the sorts used by some players and other athletes) apparently have serious health side-effects. For that reason it certainly seems reaonable to ban their use."
I've never been comfortable with this line of reasoning, and I don't imagine I ever will. My body, my health, my decision (unless I've signed a contract against steroid use).
However, I do think, from a business perspective, it behooves professional sports leagues to ban steroid use for the simple reason that there is a limit to human performance. Uninhibited use of steroids amongst players would allow (eventually, with the perfection of steroids and similar "enhancements") a geater percentange of them to reach this limit, which would reduce the rarity of stardom. Star players need to be rare since they draw crowds by means of their distinctive superiority over average players.
I suppose harmless steroids should be banned for the same shrewd reason.

Guest's picture

Guest

Friday, April 8, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

Who really cares about athletes using steriods, th

Who really cares about athletes using steriods, there are worse problems in the world. But, here is my opinion: No one should blame professional athletes if they take steriods. If some professional athletes take steriods, how do you expect a professional athlete to keep up with competition and keep his job, if he does not take steriods. The system is screwed up more than the individual, the fans want supermen not your average joe on the stage. I think that the athletes should be looked as more as victims, and be given rehabilitation. All they want to do is play sports and keep their jobs, but to do that they have to keep up with competition, and this whole thing is guided by Adam Smith?s invisable hand, ?Greed and Money.?

Guest's picture

Guest

Saturday, April 9, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

But with a name (or pseudonym) like "Homer," you h

But with a name (or pseudonym) like "Homer," you have to care about baseball, no? (Sorry!)
顺便说一下,“X不是世界上最糟糕的问题”,因此“X不值得关心”的原则在我看来没有什么前途。

Guest's picture

Guest

Sunday, April 10, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

我知道我吗?m sorry about that stupid argument, but

我知道我吗?我为那个愚蠢的论点感到抱歉,但世界上真的有比那些人类自愿造成的问题更糟糕的问题。我认为哲学家应该解决人类所做的那些问题。我不明白他们为什么要对抗。

Guest's picture

Guest

Sunday, April 10, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

I choose X instead of Y because a choice must be m

我选择X而不是Y是因为必须做出选择。我不能一直犹豫不决,因为如果我一直犹豫不决,我的人生将毫无意义。生活就是选择。我必须下定决心,否则我将在完全无意义的生活中徘徊。凯撒和拿破仑知道做出选择的重要性,不管这个选择是否会导致他们的死亡。

Guest's picture

Guest

Monday, May 2, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

I am writing a report on steroids in baseball for

我正在为我的英语课写一篇关于棒球中使用类固醇的报告,我需要信息支持在棒球中使用类固醇,但没有找到任何。有人能帮帮我吗?

Guest's picture

Guest

Monday, May 30, 2005 -- 5:00 PM

Steroids have been about for eons now, its just be

Steroids have been about for eons now, its just because we have testing that it has come to the surface.
My husband is ex-bodybuilder, winning the Mr Britain EFBB as a senioir back in `92.
He was body-building not because he thought he was beautiful, but as a way to get out of poverty & hope someone notices his dedication & potential. He had been doing it `natural` for 20years, winning little before he found out the way was via steriods. By then passing his youth potential!
It made him sterile & have an over-developed heart muscle on one side (murmur).he still says the risk was worth it. It gave him a sense of achievement& a gym. He says he certainly would of ending up spending years in prison with no hope ,if it was`nt for steriods.
即使在所谓的业余(非类固醇)健身中,他们也会偷偷服用少量的药物。所有体育项目的竞争都很激烈,正如前面提到的,观众总是想要更多。
除了极限运动,身体自然能做的也只有这么多。迄今为止,还没有其他食物被发明出来能够帮助人体留住体内的蛋白质,类固醇也能做到这一点。帮助身体留住蛋白质,不要把它丢进马桶里!
Look at the fugures of celebs/stars/models now (females). Their bodies are a totally different shape & structure than they were say even 30 years ago.
Steroids is in ALL sports & when the public wake up to this relaity is when we will stop competitors from feeling or treated like criminals.
We have created it OURSELVES, demanding ever higher goals.
只有当我们达到世界级水平时,他们才会费心去测试。如果他们随机测试所有的身体运动和以身体为导向的职业,我们将不得不承认这个问题的程度。
锻炼方式与这一现象也没有任何关系,只是一个身体能做多少种不同的运动?
生长激素是另一种大块头,直到最近才被检测出来。毫无疑问,所有的化学家都会创造出下一种绕过测试的药物。猫和老鼠!这是当今所有体育运动的现实。

Guest's picture

Guest

Monday, November 28, 2005 -- 4:00 PM

What could some benefits be for banning baseball f

What could some benefits be for banning baseball from steroids

Guest's picture

Guest

Friday, February 24, 2006 -- 4:00 PM

I think it's very serious problem!

I think it's very serious problem!
dianabol online

Guest's picture

Guest

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 -- 4:00 PM

The logic that i should be able to do somthing wro

The logic that i should be able to do somthing wrong because sombody else does it incredibly childish. The common phrase "would you jump off a bridge if he does it" can be applied here. Baseball is a game, and games have rules --and just because a few people greedily want to make more money(which most don't need) by cheating isn't and should never be a go ahead for everyone else to cheat. The real issue is enforcement and the steps Major League Baseball and all professional sports need to make to ensure fairness. Steroids are no different then the use of a corked bat or in gambling weighted dice.....it's cheating people and we can not condone it. It must be punished and monitored not just for the sake sports but society as a whole.

Guest's picture

Guest

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 -- 4:00 PM

Please feel free to respond to my comment above in

Please feel free to respond to my comment above in this blog. I'm curious to hear views on justification for steroid use.

Guest's picture

Guest

Monday, September 22, 2008 -- 5:00 PM

We are a well-known production company that produc

We are a well-known production company that produces television movies among many other types of productions. We are looking for a true story about a teenage girl who struggled with steroid use for body image purposes. We have a long history of producing critically acclaimed programs, often based on true stories such as these, with a determination to present the material in a dignified and honest manner. If you or someone you know fits into this need, please contact us atsteroidsstory@gmail.com. If we move forward in developing a movie based on the story, the life rights person can be compensated, and we can change names to protect anonymity.
非常感谢。

Guest's picture

Guest

Monday, September 22, 2008 -- 5:00 PM

We are a well-known production company that produc

We are a well-known production company that produces television movies among many other types of productions. We are looking for a true story about a teenage girl who struggled with steroid use for body image purposes. We have a long history of producing critically acclaimed programs, often based on true stories such as these, with a determination to present the material in a dignified and honest manner. If you or someone you know fits into this need, please contact us atsteroidsstory@gmail.com. If we move forward in developing a movie based on the story, the life rights person can be compensated, and we can change names to protect anonymity.
非常感谢。

Guest's picture

Guest

Saturday, November 1, 2008 -- 5:00 PM

steroids in baseball is going to happen more & mor

steroids in baseball is going to happen more & more. as players have found out the effects then will keep on using it. they just need to find better ways of supplementing with other legal steroids.

Guest's picture

Guest

Sunday, February 28, 2010 -- 4:00 PM

Injectable testosterone has been used by sportsmen

自20世纪40年代以来,运动员们就开始使用可注射的睾酮,认为只有现代运动员才会作弊的想法是完全错误的。

Guest's picture

Guest

Sunday, May 9, 2010 -- 5:00 PM

Yes there is a great problem with steroids and it

Yes there is a great problem with steroids and it will be more easier if the whole world would gather and say each others opinion and perspective on steroids, the problem should be solved!

Guest's picture

Guest

Saturday, July 17, 2010 -- 5:00 PM

We have to make some radical move to get the atten

We have to make some radical move to get the attention of everyone. Cheaters can't win and steroids has put us in the position that it's OK to cheat.

Guest's picture

Guest

Friday, October 15, 2010 -- 5:00 PM

As the guy stated above steroids must be used wise

如上所述,类固醇必须明智地使用。
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