Genetic Selection for Sport

1
there would be no decision, in the strong sense
of the word, in ethics, in politics, no decision,
and thus no responsibility, without the
experience of some undecidability. If you don't
experience some undecidability, then the decision
would simply be the application of a programme,
the consequence of a premiss or of a matrix. So a
decision has to go through some impossibility in
order for it to be a decision. If we knew what to
do, if i knew in terms of knowledge what I have
to do before the decision, then the decision
would not be a decision. It would simply be the
application of a rule, the consequence of a
premiss, and there would be no problem, there
would be no decision. ethics and politics,
therefore, start with undecidability" (Derrida,
1999).
2
Genetic Selection for Sport
Is

• a good idea?

(andy miah, the hastings center, 7 December,
2006)
3
Is
anything
a good idea?
4
Is
playing the lottery
a good idea?
5
Is
riding a motorcycle
a good idea?
6
What
Is
a good idea?
7
What
Is
a good idea?
life
8
should we value
What
(in sport) to have
a good idea?
life
9
Genetic tests
genetic selection
10
ideas / Miah Rich (2006) Genetic Tests for
Ability, Sport, Education Society UK Sport
meeting, co-chaired with Julian Savulescu British
Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
working group University of Glasgow MPhil in
Medical Law dissertation (Professor Sheila McLean)
11
Positive function / Constitutive of sports
technological character. Genetics in Society - if
only there were a genetic supermarket!. Enhance
risk management in sport. Channel resources into
most likely winners. Enhance autonomy in
self-selecting sport. More genetic data, greater
anti-doping potential.
12
athletes
Elite Amateur Ambivalent Mediocre Non-athlete
parents
authorities
coaches
sponsors
13
Objections to selection / The Incomplete
Knowledge Objection. The Competitive Logic
Objection. The Specific Child Objection The
Prejudice Objection. The Diminishing Openness
Objection.
14
Beyond ethics / Locating the burden of proof. The
Accumulation of Biocultural Capital.
15
Beyond ethics / Locating the burden of proof. The
Accumulation of Biocultural Capital.
Interfere with basic liberties of others? Involve
harm or risk of harm? Broader social costs?
16
Beyond ethics / Locating the burden of proof. The
Accumulation of Biocultural Capital.
17
The term 'cultural capital' refers to the
knowledge of and skills in the discursive realm
relating to society, the arts, leisure, sport,
science, politics and all the other elements
recognised as 'culture' in society at
large.'.'Bourdieu's interest is in how society
evaluates this cultural capital through visible
and tacit systems of reward and
punishment. Bourdieu displays a clear interest
in the unfinishedness of the body, and maintains
a more comprehensive view of the materiality of
human embodiment than those theorists who focus
exclusively on language, consciousness, or even
the body as flesh. Bourdieu recognises that acts
of labour are required to turn bodies into social
entities and that these acts influence how people
develop and hold the physical shape of their
bodies, and learn how to present their bodies
through styles of walk, talk and dress. Far from
being natural, these represent highly skilled and
socially differentiated accomplishments which
start to be learned early in childhood. As it
develops, the body bears the indisputable imprint
of the individual's social class (Bourdieu, 1984).
18
bio
The term 'cultural capital' refers to the
knowledge of and skills in the discursive realm
relating to society, the arts, leisure, sport,
science, politics and all the other elements
recognised as 'culture' in society at
large.'.'Bourdieu's interest is in how society
evaluates this cultural capital through visible
and tacit systems of reward and
punishment. Bourdieu displays a clear interest
in the unfinishedness of the body, and maintains
a more comprehensive view of the materiality of
human embodiment than those theorists who focus
exclusively on language, consciousness, or even
the body as flesh. Bourdieu recognises that acts
of labour are required to turn bodies into social
entities and that these acts influence how people
develop and hold the physical shape of their
bodies, and learn how to present their bodies
through styles of walk, talk and dress. Far from
being natural, these represent highly skilled and
socially differentiated accomplishments which
start to be learned early in childhood. As it
develops, the body bears the indisputable imprint
of the individual's social class (Bourdieu, 1984).
19
Conclusion / Yes, to positive value. No, to
requirement to test though unlikely that can
avoid this. Yes, to it informing critical thought
about ones future and the role of genetics. No,
to it determining choices.
20
(No Transcript)
21
HGC, Inside Information / Sensitive vs.
non-sensitive Private vs. observable Low vs. high
informational impact. Recessive vs
dominant Unifactorial vs multifactorial Diagnostic
vs predictive Screening (population) vs
Testing/Diagnosis (individual)