Week 9 (11) FINAL

Question 1

Breveik considers 5 arguments for the conclusion that BASE jumping is unethical. Identify and describe any three of them. If Breveik responds, describe his response as well.

Answer 1

1. base jumpng threatens the health of the base jumper
   R: maybe there’s nothing unethical about self-harm
2. base jumpers are selfish and set a bad example
   R: not always. They’re chasing a sublime experience which is not selfish or setting a bad example. People in other sports are far more unethical and are not labeled as so, so unless you’re willing to call them unethical you can’t call base jumpers unethical
3. base jumping causes harm to others
4. base jumping leads to unnecessary risk to rescue people
   R: this is false. If rescuers are taking risk, then they’re also risk takers like the base jumper, so don’t blame the base jumpers
   R: if you blame base jumpers for being rescued, they you also must blame hikers for being rescued, fishermen, surfers, etc which would be absurd
5. base jumping is expensive for society
   R: base jumpers can pay for their own rescue
   R: base jumping also generates money, which outweighs the cost

Question 2

What is Breveiks ‘verdict’ on the question of whether BASE jumping is ethical?

Answer 2

Any particular base jump can be good or bad based on the details of the situation. It hinges on:
1. the degree of probable harm
2. how serious the potential harm is
3. how probable that the jumper’s goal will be reached
4. how valuable the goal is (to the person aiming for it)
5. how necessary the risk is (can the goal be reached in another way)

Question 3

Russell considers, and rejects, five theories that are meant to explain why we value dangerous sport(and what their value consists in). Describe any three of those theories and explain why Russell thinks they are faulty.

Answer 3

1. public recognition: to be praised for their excellence
   R: people who play in public sports have no intrest or expectation of public recognition, and those who don’t have intrest in that still participate in extreme sport even if they don’t have that recognition (basically, they’re not doing it for the fame, but for other reasons)
   R: this theory doesn’t go deep enough. There must be a reason the public gives glory to those wo participate in public sport. We want to know what that reason is
2. subject value for the participant: i.e, pleasure, adrenaline high, enjoyment, satisfaction
   R: this doesn’t go deep enough. We get pleasure out of dangerous sport for a reason. There remains an issue of what that reason is
3. genetic-evolutionary explanation:we crave danger for survival value. Those people were more likely to survive and reproduce, therefore we have a wired disposition to crave danger
   R: this only exmplains why we crave danger, not the value it consists in
   R: this ignores the fact that part of the reason we like danger is that it is sort of a game. If evolution explains why we like danger, it doesn’t explain why we like dangerous games
4. promotion of courage: we value dangerous sport because we value the virtue of courage and dangerous sport promotes courage
   R: it’s not clear that dangerous sports promotes courage. It may promote recklessness, or selfishness, but it’s not courage.
   R: it’s reasonable to believe people who do not participate in dangerous sport are as courages as people who do
5. dangerous sport is an outlet for physical aggression: it serves an important social function. It moves violent and agressive behaviour off the streets (and into the sheets wink wink) and into the sporting venue
   R: it’s debateable whether or not sports do reduce violence and unrest in the rest of society
   R: if it’s true that it does reduce violence, that only exlains it’s value in society, but not the value for people who aprticipate in it
   R: not all dangerous sports are an outlet for agression (ex. skiing and surfing). Dangerous sports can be an outlet for stress, but there’s other ways to do that too. There’s nothing about dangerous sports that relieves stress better than other things

Question 4

What is Russell’s own explanation of the value of dangerous sport?

Answer 4

It’s a means (and the best means) for achieving self affirmation (realizing your full potential)

Participating in dangerous sports has the potential to be more satisfying than pursuing non-dangerous activity because it incorporates challenges to capacities for judgment and choice that involves all of oneself - body, will, emotions etc. under conditions of physical duress and danger at the limits of being.