Overview:

Pick up a sports section in any newspaper in any town and you are likely to find a commentator or journalist moving us to think about an ethical issue that arises in or because of sports. This class will explore some of these issues as they relate to our most celebrated philosophical theories. Our main focus will be the concept of “Fair Play” in sports as a metaphor for achieving human and moral excellence. We will discuss possible obstacles to this pursuit such as cheating, violence, drug abuse, and gender inequity.

Required Text:

Gough, Russell. Character Is Everything. Harcourt Brace.

Recommended Text:

Simon, Robert L. Fair Play: Sports, Values, and Society, Westview Press. 2^nd Edition

Reserved Readings:

Sunzi. The Art of War. trans. by Roger Ames

Aristotle. The Nichomachean Ethics. (excerpts)

Plato. The Euthyphro.

Kant, Immanuel. The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. (Chpt. 2)

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. (excerpts)

Dewey, John. The Theory of the Moral Life. (Introduction)

Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. (excerpt)

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. (excerpt)

Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality. (excerpt)

Teams:

The class will be divided into seven teams of 7-8 students each. Each team’s performance will be recorded. The team with the highest average will receive a reward agreed upon by the class and the instructor.

Grading: Scale: (see Handbook for USF policy)

Midterm Exam 20% A = 90-100

Final Exam 25% B = 80-89

Attendance/ Participation 15% C = 70-79

Quizzes 25% D = 60-69

Presentation 15% F = 59 and below

(+ and – grades assigned to final avg.)

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed 3 unexcused absences; every subsequent absence will be penalized 1 point from your final grade.

The University of South Florida respects the right to observe religious holidays. Committed students can miss certain religious holidays without penalty, provided they consult with the instructor before the holiday on how to make up the work. Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting. Documented absences for medical or other legitimate reasons are also respected. Discuss these with the professor for approval.

Presentations:

Your team will be required to pick a topic covered in class and give a presentation of current events that demonstrate the topic’s pertinence to the current sports world. Each student is required to present a unique aspect of the topic. In addition to the oral presentation, a typed, double-spaced paper of 3-4 pages will be submitted by each student in a group folder.

Quizzes:

There will be 6-8 short answer quizzes administered throughout the semester. Quizzes will be unannounced and based on the readings.

Academic dishonesty:

CHEATING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Whether in the form of plagiarism or sharing exam answers, academic dishonesty will be penalized to the fullest extent as outlined in the USF Student Handbook.

Special Accommodations:

If you require accommodations for this course due to a physical or learning impairment you may contact the Disabled Student Services in SVC, Room 1133. (813) 974-4309

Course Outline: (NOTE: Schedule subject to change to meet time constraints)

Week 1: Introduction

Overview of Philosophy and Ethics

Week 2: Sportsmanship vs. Gamesmanship

Why Be Ethical?

Week 3: The Ethics of Competition

Sports as Warfare?

Week 4: Is Winning Important?

Cheating in Sports

Week 5: What is an Athlete?

Violence in Sports

Week 6: Performance Enhancing Drugs

Enforcing Drug Sanctions

Week 7: Racism in Sports

Movie: “Hoop Dreams”

Week 8: Review for Midterm

Midterm Exam Oct. 14^th

Week 9: Equality vs. Excellence

Gender Equity

Week 10: Title IV

The Role of Sports in Universities

Week 11: Sports and Social Values

Moral Responsibility

Week 12: Teamwork vs. Individual Sport

Extreme Sports Vs. Mainstream Sports

Week 13: Presentations

Week 14: Presentations

Week 15: Review for Final

PAPERS DUE – Thu. Dec. 2^nd

Finals Week: Final Exam – Dec. 7^th