The book provides an in-depth discussion on the human nature concept
from different perspectives and from different disciplines, analyzing
its use in the doping debate and researching its normative overtones.
The relation between natural talent and enhanced abilities is
scrutinized within a proper conceptual and theoretical framework: is
doping to be seen as a factor of the athlete's dehumanization or is it a
tool to fulfill his/her aspirations to go faster, higher and stronger?
Which characteristics make sports such a peculiar subject of ethical
discussion and what are the, both intrinsic and extrinsic, moral dangers
and opportunities involved in athletic enhancement? This volume combines
fundamental philosophical anthropological reflection with applied ethics
and socio-cultural and empirical approaches. Furthermore guidelines will
be presented to decision- and policy-makers on local, national and
international levels. Zooming in on the intrinsic issue of what is
valuable about our homo sapiens biological condition, this volume
devotes only scant attention to the specific issue of natural talent and
why such talent is appreciated so differently than biotechnological
origins of ability. In addition, specific aspects of sports such as its
competitive nature and its direct display of bodily prowess provide good
reason to single out the issue of natural athletic talent for sustained
ethical scrutiny.