Why do some people have a strange desire to do weird things for no (good) reason? There's something fascinating about kids who eat laundry soap as part of a “challenge,” or people who deliberately... Read more
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?
I believe that John and Ken had the distinguished Kant and baseball scholar Allen Wood on Philosophy Talk to discuss baseball, but unfortunately I haven't yet listened to that episode; I'll check out the archive at Philosophytalk.org.
Meanwhile, cheers, and Play Ball!
Blog Archive
Making a better world would be a great thing—but do we need philosophers to help us do that? Famously (or infamously), not all philosophers have been such great people. So are they the folks we... Read more
In her time—the 4th century CE—Hypatia was one of the most famous philosophers in Alexandria, and indeed in the ancient world. She studied and taught mathematics,... Read more
Mexican philosophy is full of fascinating ideas, from Mexica ("Aztec") and Mayan thought to Sor Juana’s feminism and Emilio Uranga’s existentialism... Read more
Your friendly neighborhood Senior Prodcuer here, once again stepping out from behind the mixing board to bring you some bonus content from this week's 17th (!) annual Summer Reading special.... Read more
Gender is a controversial topic these days. To some, gender is an oppressive system designed to keep women down: people go around saying "girls are made of sugar and spice and boys are made of... Read more
Fascism is on the rise, new infectious diseases keep cropping up, and we’re on the verge of environmental collapse: how on earth could art possibly save us? The arts are may be nice distraction,... Read more
Some say the world is full of contradictions, like “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Parting is sweet, but parting is also sad; and sweetness and sadness are opposites. But logicians would say that... Read more
Our minds are amazing prediction machines—and sometimes they can even make their predictions come true!
Does reading that strike you as something out of The Secret—like if you... Read more
Derek Parfit was a really interesting thinker when it came to identity and the self. He had a particularly cool thought experiment involving tele-transportation.
Suppose you’re on your... Read more
When philosophers talk about perception, they tend to focus on what we see and hear, and rarely on what we smell. But olfaction is a strange sense that deserves greater philosophical scrutiny. For... Read more
A caller in this week's episode nominated "Women Talking" for a Dionysus Award. Guest co-host Jeremy Sabol takes that as a springboard to blog about movies and... Read more
This week we’re thinking about Cancel Culture, which some consider a real problem: people losing their jobs, being harassed online, their home addresses being shared—all because they said... Read more
This week we’re asking why we should trust science—which may sound like a weird question. After all, why would we doubt the method that helps us build bridges and skyscrapers, formulate life... Read more
Following up on last year's not-so-new experiment, here's a little behind-the-scenes look into the brief audio montages (produced... Read more
This week we’re asking what it’s... Read more
This essay also appears at the website of Oxford University Press, publisher of Josh's new book,
"The World According to Proust."
... Read more
This week we’re thinking about how to create a world in which our leaders are not just effective legislators, but also good people.
Some might think there are not enough leaders like that... Read more
This week we're thinking about the British Liberal tradition and its relationship to colonialism and self-government. Classical Liberal thinkers, like John Locke and John Stuart Mill, held that... Read more
This week we’re thinking about Collective Action and Climate Change. With floods and fires getting more frequent and intense, and with the summer just ended shattering heat records around the... Read more
This week we’re thinking about cultural appropriation and asking who owns culture—which may be a weird way of thinking about it. It's easy to see how somebody can own the rights to a song they... Read more
This week we’re questioning Effective Altruism. That’s Peter Singer’s idea that you should do the most good you can, and you should figure out what that is by doing your homework and choosing the... Read more
This week we're asking what Political Inequality is. Sounds easy to define, right? That’s when some people don’t get an equal voice in society, because they’re not represented in government, or... Read more
This week we're asking whether it's rational to be optimistic—which seems like bit of a crazy question if you've been reading the news lately. After all, what could possibly justify the belief... Read more
This week we're thinking about the Changing Face of Antisemitism—a program recorded last month at the Stanford Humanities Center for our first live, in-person event in 2-1/2 years.
... Read more
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Blog Archive
Why do some people have a strange desire to do weird things for no (good) reason? There's something fascinating about kids who eat laundry soap as part of a “challenge,” or people who deliberately... Read more
Making a better world would be a great thing—but do we need philosophers to help us do that? Famously (or infamously), not all philosophers have been such great people. So are they the folks we... Read more
In her time—the 4th century CE—Hypatia was one of the most famous philosophers in Alexandria, and indeed in the ancient world. She studied and taught mathematics,... Read more
Mexican philosophy is full of fascinating ideas, from Mexica ("Aztec") and Mayan thought to Sor Juana’s feminism and Emilio Uranga’s existentialism... Read more
Your friendly neighborhood Senior Prodcuer here, once again stepping out from behind the mixing board to bring you some bonus content from this week's 17th (!) annual Summer Reading special.... Read more
Gender is a controversial topic these days. To some, gender is an oppressive system designed to keep women down: people go around saying "girls are made of sugar and spice and boys are made of... Read more
Fascism is on the rise, new infectious diseases keep cropping up, and we’re on the verge of environmental collapse: how on earth could art possibly save us? The arts are may be nice distraction,... Read more
Some say the world is full of contradictions, like “parting is such sweet sorrow.” Parting is sweet, but parting is also sad; and sweetness and sadness are opposites. But logicians would say that... Read more
Our minds are amazing prediction machines—and sometimes they can even make their predictions come true!
Does reading that strike you as something out of The Secret—like if you... Read more
Derek Parfit was a really interesting thinker when it came to identity and the self. He had a particularly cool thought experiment involving tele-transportation.
Suppose you’re on your... Read more
When philosophers talk about perception, they tend to focus on what we see and hear, and rarely on what we smell. But olfaction is a strange sense that deserves greater philosophical scrutiny. For... Read more
A caller in this week's episode nominated "Women Talking" for a Dionysus Award. Guest co-host Jeremy Sabol takes that as a springboard to blog about movies and... Read more
This week we’re thinking about Cancel Culture, which some consider a real problem: people losing their jobs, being harassed online, their home addresses being shared—all because they said... Read more
This week we’re asking why we should trust science—which may sound like a weird question. After all, why would we doubt the method that helps us build bridges and skyscrapers, formulate life... Read more
Following up on last year's not-so-new experiment, here's a little behind-the-scenes look into the brief audio montages (produced... Read more
This week we’re asking what it’s... Read more
This essay also appears at the website of Oxford University Press, publisher of Josh's new book,
"The World According to Proust."
... Read more
This week we’re thinking about how to create a world in which our leaders are not just effective legislators, but also good people.
Some might think there are not enough leaders like that... Read more
This week we're thinking about the British Liberal tradition and its relationship to colonialism and self-government. Classical Liberal thinkers, like John Locke and John Stuart Mill, held that... Read more
This week we’re thinking about Collective Action and Climate Change. With floods and fires getting more frequent and intense, and with the summer just ended shattering heat records around the... Read more
This week we’re thinking about cultural appropriation and asking who owns culture—which may be a weird way of thinking about it. It's easy to see how somebody can own the rights to a song they... Read more
This week we’re questioning Effective Altruism. That’s Peter Singer’s idea that you should do the most good you can, and you should figure out what that is by doing your homework and choosing the... Read more
This week we're asking what Political Inequality is. Sounds easy to define, right? That’s when some people don’t get an equal voice in society, because they’re not represented in government, or... Read more
This week we're asking whether it's rational to be optimistic—which seems like bit of a crazy question if you've been reading the news lately. After all, what could possibly justify the belief... Read more
This week we're thinking about the Changing Face of Antisemitism—a program recorded last month at the Stanford Humanities Center for our first live, in-person event in 2-1/2 years.
... Read more
Comments (20)
Guest
Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
Wouldn't these side-effect free steroids just be tWouldn'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
Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
Right, Brian. That is one thing in the back of myRight, Brian. That is one thing in the back of my mind. Also, weight-training equipment is much better now than it was in Babe Ruth's time and Hank Aaron's time, and so forth. So there would seem to be a very slippery slope here...
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
Friday, April 8, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
Who really cares about athletes using steriods, thWho 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
Saturday, April 9, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
But with a name (or pseudonym) like "Homer," you hBut with a name (or pseudonym) like "Homer," you have to care about baseball, no? (Sorry!)
By the way, the principle, "X is not the worst problem in the world" therefore "X is not worth caring about" doesn't have much of a future, in my view.
Guest
Sunday, April 10, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
I know I?m sorry about that stupid argument, butI know I?m sorry about that stupid argument, but really there are worse problems in the world than those problems which humans inflict on themselves willingly. I think that philosophers should attack those problems which humans don?t understand why they are confronting.
Guest
Sunday, April 10, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
I choose X instead of Y because a choice must be mI choose X instead of Y because a choice must be made. I cannot stay undecided, because if I stay undecided then my life will mean nothing. Life is about choices. I must make a determination, or else I will wander life in complete meaninglessness. Caesar and Napoleon knew the importance of making a choice, no matter if that choice will lead them to death.
Guest
Monday, May 2, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
I am writing a report on steroids in baseball forI am writing a report on steroids in baseball for my english class and i need info supporting the use of steroids in baseball but can not fing any. can someone help me.
Guest
Monday, May 30, 2005 -- 5:00 PM
Steroids have been about for eons now, its just beSteroids 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.
Even in so-called amateur (non-steroid) body-building, they sneak in small quantities of the drug. Competition is fierce in all sports & as already mentioned spectators always want more.
There is only so much a body can do naturally, despite extreme exercise. There has been no other food invented that helps a body hold onto proteins in their bodies, thats what steroids do as well. help a body hold onto protein & not lose it down the toilet!
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.
Its only when we get to world-class do they even bother to test. If they random tested ALL the body sports & body orientated careers, we would then have to acknowledge the extent of the issue.
Nor has exercise regime have anything to do with this phenomenon, just how many different exercises can a body do too?
Growth Hormone is another body-bulker, which until lately was undetectable. No doubt all those chemists out there will be creating the next drug to by-pass tests. Its cat & mouse! Thats the reality of all sports these days.
Guest
Monday, November 28, 2005 -- 4:00 PM
What could some benefits be for banning baseball fWhat could some benefits be for banning baseball from steroids
Guest
Friday, February 24, 2006 -- 4:00 PM
I think it's very serious problem!I think it's very serious problem!
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Guest
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 -- 4:00 PM
The logic that i should be able to do somthing wroThe 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
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 -- 4:00 PM
Please feel free to respond to my comment above inPlease feel free to respond to my comment above in this blog. I'm curious to hear views on justification for steroid use.
Guest
Monday, September 22, 2008 -- 5:00 PM
We are a well-known production company that producWe 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 at steroidsstory@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.
Thanks very much.
Guest
Monday, September 22, 2008 -- 5:00 PM
We are a well-known production company that producWe 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 at steroidsstory@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.
Thanks very much.
Guest
Saturday, November 1, 2008 -- 5:00 PM
steroids in baseball is going to happen more & morsteroids 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
Sunday, February 28, 2010 -- 4:00 PM
Injectable testosterone has been used by sportsmenInjectable testosterone has been used by sportsmen since the 1940s, the idea that only modern players cheat is plain wrong.
Guest
Sunday, May 9, 2010 -- 5:00 PM
Yes there is a great problem with steroids and itYes 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
Saturday, July 17, 2010 -- 5:00 PM
We have to make some radical move to get the attenWe 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
Friday, October 15, 2010 -- 5:00 PM
As the guy stated above steroids must be used wiseAs the guy stated above steroids must be used wisely.
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