SeminarReflection:

Chapter2Sportsbeforethe21stC.
AnnikaConstantino

Howdidyouthinkwedidintheseminar?
Onthisseminar,Ifeelthatwedidabetterjobonitasawhole.Itflowedalotnicerthan
ourfirstseminarandIfeelthatthearticlewasabletocreatealotofquestionsforusand
arguments/opinions.Ifeelthatthisarticlewasmorerelatabletothantheotheronesandwas
easiertograsp.ItwaseasiertoconnecttoreallifedecisionsorpreferencesandIfeellike
peoplewerereallyabletoexplaintheirpointswellduetothis.Ifeellikethemajorityofpeople
spokeandtheconversationneverhadarealstoppingpoint,itfeltlikeitcouldbetalkedabout
foralongtime.Alotofushaddifferentopinionsonthetopic,anditwasveryinterestingseeing
peoplespeakoutthingsandbringoutpointsIneverrealizedmyself.

Whatyoudidwell?Whatcanyoudobetter?Goal?
Onthisseminar,IfeelthatIdidabetterjob.IwasreallyinterestedinthistopicandIfelt
thatitmademeaskalotofquestions.SotheinterestIhadreallyhelpedmetopreparewellfor
theseminar.Insteadofwritingoutmyreadinglog,thistimeItypeditout.Ireallyorganizedmy
factswellandwrotealotofreallifeconnectionsandwonderings.LastseminarIdidntfeellikeI
wassuperprepared,butthistimeIfeltawholelotbetteraboutit.Iwasprepared,Iwas
interestedenoughinthetopicthatIwasveryencouragedtospeakupaboutmythoughts.Iwas
proudtoputoutsomegoodcomments/pointsoutthere.Itmademefeelgoodtopointoutthings
andtosharemythought/questionaboutthetopic.(InthiscaseIhadalmosttriplethe
connectionsandquestions).IfeltlikeIspokewellandwasabletoaskquestionstomovethe
conversationon.IfeellikeIcontributedalottotheconversation,andIwasverygladtoshare
mythoughtsonthisarticle.
Nexttime,IfIweretomakeagoal,Iwouldprobablysaytomakemoreconnections.
AlthoughIhadconnections,Ionlyconnectedittomyownpersonalsituations.Iwouldsaythat
maybeIcantryconnectingthingstootherseminararticles,currenteventsinlife,history,etc.I
wouldalsosaytonotbeafraidofleadingtheconversation.Therewouldbetimelastyearwhere
Ihadtriedtoaskaquestionandtriedtoleadtheconversation,butasIaskedthequestionone
ofmyclassmateswouldaskatotallydifferentquestionthatwasntrelevanttomyquestion.Asif
mythoughtwasignored.Althoughitbotheredme,Itshouldntbehesitateleadortoaska
questionnexttime.

Issportahigher/lowerpleasure?
Ibelievethatitisreallydifficulttolabelsportsasoneofthese.Wedefinitelygain
somethingoutofsportsthatisvaluablelikephysicalexercise,teamwork,discipline,etc.But
sportsalsogiveusanaspectofsomeentertainment.Italldependsoncircumstance.Ifyouare
playingsportasagame,letssayjustforfunwithyoufriends,playingafterschool,playing
duringlunch,thenitismoreofalowerpleasure.Somethingtoentertainyourselfwith,topass
time.Butifyouplayonasportsteamorevenplayforaliving,sportsbecomessomethingmore
thanjustasourceofentertainment.Itbecomesahigherpleasurethatprovidesalifestyle,sense
ofliving,money.Italsodependsonwhatyouvalue.Ifyouvalueexercise,thatmightmakesport

ahigherpleasurethatreallybenefitsyou.Butifyourathervalueotherthings,sportsmightbe
justasecondarylowerpleasureforyou.Itdependsonthesituationandpersonitself,andwhat
he/shedefinesthetelosandvalueofasportistothem.

ReadingLog:
Chapter2ofSportsbeforethe21stC.

MainIdeas/StrikingIdeas
ITALLDEPENDSONTHECIRCUMSTANCE
Isitpermissibletodosomethinglikehurtorkillsomeoneduetocircumstancesthatitis
necessary?Likeintheexampleaboutthesailorsandthecabinboys?
Isitokaytokillsomeoneifitmeanssavingmorelives?Ifsacrificingsomeonebenefits
themajority,isitmorallypermissible?
MAJORITY
playsabigpartinwhatisdebatablebetweenbeingmoralornot.Itstateda
lotinthearticleabouthowitplaysabigpartinwhatisdebatablebetweenbeingmoral
ornot.Itstatedaboutitalotinthearticle.IntheIndividualRightssection,itmentions
caringaboutonlythesumofsatisfactions,leavingalesseramountofpeople
satisfactory.Shouldwereallydependonmajorityvoteoneverything?Thisreallytiesinto
politicsanddemocracy.Itisdebatablewhetherthemajorityshouldbeprioritizedinmoral
rights.
Somecansaythatitisrighttobelieveinmajority.ButIwanttorelateittothe
RomanGladiators.Themajorityofthepublicandpeopleenjoyedandwas
pleasedbyslavesdyingforthesakeofentertainmentfights.Sodoesthatmake
slavedeathfightingmoral?Justbecausethemajorityispleased?Whatabout
IndividualUtilitarianism?
CONSEQUENCES
playsabigpartinwhatisdebatablebetweenbeingmoralornot.In
eachdecision,thereareconsequencestothinkabout.Ifweletcertainthingsslidelike
thecannibalismofthecabinboy,itwillaffectthewaysocietythinksandseethings.It
makessocietythinkthatifitisallowedtohappen,itisnowmorallypermissible.Orinthe
samecaseaboutthecabinboy,itdiscouragespeopletobecomecabinboysbecauseof
themurder.
CONSENT
issomethingthattieshugelyintomorals.Itdependsonthecircumstance
withthesethings.Somewillsaythatifyougetconsent,itisokaytodothingslikeuse
somethingofsomeonesortodosomething.Butwhenitcomestothecircumstancesof
thingslikekilling,isitokaytokillsomeoneifyouaskfortheirconsent?Justbecause
theygavepermission,doesitreallymeanitisokayandstillanabsenceofviolationto
whatismorallypermissible?
AWARENESS
issomethingthattiesintomorals.Ifyouareawareofsomethingwrong,
andyoudontdoanythingtofixit,isitconsideredwrongmorally?LikeintheFord
company,theyacknowledgedsomethingwrong,butduetocostsandbenefitstheydid
nothingtofixit.Aretheyconsideredmorallywrong?Forlettingsomethingthatcould
possibleharmpeopleslide?Weretheyprioritizingtheirownbenefitsratherthanthe
benefitsandsafetyofthepublic?

MORALMEANING
thevalueofwhatismoralornotisdebatable.Sometimeswejust
lookatitinanaspectwhereitisjustaboutwhetherornotitisfairforsomeone,or
whetherornotitpleasessomeone,ingroupsandinindividuals.Butitstatedonpage
33,maybemoralityismoresuchassomethingtodowithtreatingandproperlytreating
humans.Treatingoneanother
Properwayoftreatingoneanother
Thistiesintolikeconsent,doesitmakeitokayifwegetpermission?Andthingslike
hurtingotherpeopleorkillingshouldreallybedefinedinthepurposeofmorality.There
arecertainaspectslikehappinessandconsent,butstillthefirstpriorityshouldbethe
properwayoftreatinghumans.
CostandBenefits
Istronglybelievethatcostshouldnotbeapriorityofmorals.Weshouldnotletmoney
ormaterialisticthingsbelikethedecidingpointonwhetherornotsomethingismoralor
not.Justbecauseitsavesmoremoneyandbenefitsthecarcompany,doesnotmakeit
morallypermissibletodo.Ifyouacknowledgeandknowofasolutionthenwhydontyou
fixit?Whyshouldmoneystopyoufromdoingso?
MajorityV.Minority
ThistiesintoHappiness,butwhoshappinesstoweprioritize?Andevenifitdoes
benefitapartofsocietyor(themajority)isitconsideredmoral?
Happiness/Bringinglesspainandsuffering
ThehappinessparttiesintoMajorityvs.Minorityvote.Whoshappinessshouldwebe
prioritizingexactly?Societydoesntallhaveonesamethoughtofhappiness.Likethe
beggars,somecouldbedisgusted,butsomecouldhaveitnotbotherthematall.What
shouldweprioritize?Theonewithamajorityovertheother?
Andthisalsogoesinto,whosehappinessofwhichsideshouldweprioritze?Shouldwe
prioritizethebeggarshappinessorthepublic?Dosocialclassesplayarollonwhich
sideismoreorlesspriority?

Consequences,whatbringsthem?
Connections
Thestoryofthecabinboyandthetwosailorsremindmeoftheethicsexerciseswedida
fewweeksago.Wewereaskedtochoosewhetherornottopullatrackleverforatrain
tosave5peoplefromdyingortosave1personfromdyingifwedontpullthelever.It
statedinthearticleonthesailortopic,Hadnoonebeenkilledandeaten,allfourwould
havemostlikelydied.Solikeinthetrainstory,isitokaytokillsomeoneifitmeans
savingmorelives?Ifsacrificingsomeonebenefitsthemajority,isitmorallypermissible?
Doyouthinkitisokaytokillsomeoneiftheyarealreadyonthelinetodying?This
remindsmeofthetrainstoryagain,andhowitisdebatableonwhetherweshouldand
areallowedtokillpeopleiftheyareonthewaytodyinganyway.Suchasthefatmanto
bepushedtosavetheworkersinthewayofthetrain.Heissacrificedtosavemany
morelives.Isitmorallypermissibleduetothefactthatheisveryobeseandcoulddie
thenextday?Shouldweprioritizehealthieroryoungerlivesforwhatismorallyright?
Suchasgivinghealthinsurance,shouldwegiveittoagrandparentorachild.

Withtheterroristscircumstance,wetalkedaboutsomethinglikethislastyear.Wetalked
aboutamericanmilitarydronemissilesbeingshotovertovillagesintheMiddleEast,
wheretheUSBELIEVESthattherearemembersofAlQaedaliving.Nottomention
humanconditions,(innocentvillagersbeingkilledonaccidentwhenmissilewasaimed
forsomeoneelse),ourgovernmentdoesntknowforsureifthepeopletheyaimforare
reallyterrorists.Theycouldbemistakenbystereotypicallooks.Wedontknowforsure,
butshouldwestilldosomethingaboutit?Shouldwestilleliminatethemjustincasethey
reallyare?Doesitmakeitmorallypermissible?

SomeQuestionsIhad
Isitokaytokillsomeoneiftheyrelifeisonthelinealready?Shouldwechooseto
prolongsomeoneslifeeveniftheyremostlikelygoingtodiesooninthelongrun?
Isitpermissibletodosomethinglikehurtorkillsomeoneduetocircumstancesthatitis
necessary?Likeintheexampleaboutthesailorsandthecabinboys?
isitokaytokillsomeoneifitmeanssavingmorelives?Ifsacrificingsomeonebenefits
themajority,isitmorallypermissible?
Shouldthemajoritybeprioritizeinmoralsorshalltheindividualrightsbeprioritized?
Doesthisapplytopoliticsaswell.
Doyouthinkitisokaytokillsomeoneiftheyarealreadyonthelinetodying?
Shouldweprioritizehealthieroryoungerlivesforwhatismorallyright?Suchasgiving
healthinsurance,shouldwegiveittoagrandparentorachild.
Shouldlivesthataremorevulnerablebelessersignificancethanlivesthatarent?
Isitokaytokillsomeoneifyouaskfortheirconsent?Justbecausetheygave
permission,doesitreallymeanitisokayandstillanabsenceofviolationtowhatis
morallypermissible?
Whatisthetruemeaningofmoral?Thereismoreofareasonbehindit?
Dosocialclassesplayarollonwhichsideismoreorlesspriority?
Whoshappinessshouldwebeprioritizingexactly?
Whatifthereisaproblemthatregardsharmtothepublic?(relatingtoford)Ifyou
acknowledgeandknowofasolutionthenwhydontyoufixit?Whyshouldmoneystop
youfromdoingso?

WordsIdontknow:

conscientious
profligate
unsusceptible
inalienable