Daily Archives: February 1, 2013

Phenomenon, Style, Ivan and Abel (Session 3)

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Session 3 snap word: phenomenon

Session 3 snap style: In most contexts, use as the subject of a sentence the actor (one that takes action) that a reader expects.  Hence, I argue in this paper.  We can see in this example.  Deontology requires following duty.  NOT, this paper argues.  It is illustrated in this example.  It is deontology that requires following duty.

Sort of on topic is this re-do of the classic Schoolhouse Rock song, “The Tale of Mr. Morton.”

Quick ethics: Is it fair to win in sports when your opponent makes a mistake not of performance but of understanding the rules?

Ivan Fernandez, an emerging Spanish distance runner, could have beat Abel Mutai in a race.  As they entered the last 100 meters or so, Abel thought they had crossed the finish line when they had not in fact.  He eased up on his stride.  Ivan could have passed him and won, but instead motioned to Abel to continue to the end.

Ivan showed fulfilling maximal duty to Abel as he upheld the ethics of following the rules of the race.  One can argue that he had no minimal duty to inform Abel.

I think this is different from picking up a fumble in Football or a rebound in basketball.  Sure, Abel made a silly mistake.  At the same time, the point of the race is to run the fastest.  Is the analogue in a team sport if one team is playing, unwittingly, with the wrong size ball?  If sports is a mirror of society (it is), and one hence winning is all that matters, then one argues that winning for Ivan should be more important than honoring the idea of sport, competition, and also Ivan’s own integrity (to know he won fair and square), what does that say about society?  What does it mean to win?

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