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Fair Play as Moral Category for the Games
Competition and Fair play:
What is the Role of Education for Preserving the
Values and Ethics of Sport
Morana Brkljačić, MD.PhD.
CROATIAN FAIR PLAY COMMITEE
@: [email protected]
Sport or body culture represents a significant factor of health
prevention and education.
From the social and political perspective, sport is a significant element
of overall social reproduction.
The benefit of sport as a way of activating the human body and
maintaining its abilities has been known about since ancient times.
Precisely, this factor is a significant precondition for the quality of life
of modern people.
 Science and technology today are constantly changing the conditions
of human life at an extraordinarily quick tempo.
 The enormous increase in knowledge, which, nota bene, today every
7 year multiply 5x and tremendous power in the hands of
humankind through powerful technology, make the quintessence of
our civilisation.
 However, the development of modern society – the society that we
are systematically building and that has already been partially built on
the results of the scientific-technological revolution and high
technology as a social system; the society that will have to provide a
human dimension to this imminent technological revolution – is still
contradictory: it is at the same time both creative and destructive.
At the beginning of the third millennium, humankind is facing new challenges.
Inevitable globalisation processes are changing the way of life in social
communities and are also putting new paradigms in front of every single
individual. Terms such as competition, victory and failure, and choice, are
becoming dominant and require new life skills.
In modern life and work, physical or sporting activities have become the
conditio sine qua non for the further development of society: they are a
highly important daily necessity.
The everyday expansion of information, accumulation of knowledge, and
educational systems provide humans with a deeper insight into the reality of
their existence and enable them to look afresh for the balance which modern
technology and society have taken away from them.
Values and Ethics in Sport
There is no single, authoritative list of sporting values. UNESCO embraces a broad
range of values in its Preamble to the 1978 International Charter of Physical
Education and Sport in which it declares that
“physical education and sport should seek to promote closer communion between
peoples and between individuals, together with disinterested emulation, solidarity
and fraternity, mutual respect and understanding, and full respect for the integrity
and dignity of human beings”.
The more recent International Convention against Doping in Sport (2005) affirms
“that sport should play an important role in the protection of health, in moral,
cultural and physical education and in promoting international understanding and
peace” and expresses concern that “the use of doping by athletes in sport and the
consequences there of for their health, the principle of fair play, the elimination of
cheating and the future of sport (...) puts at risk the ethical principles and
educational values embodied in the International Charter of Physical Education and
Sport of UNESCO and in the Olympic Charter”.
Values such as ethics, fair play and honesty along with sportsmanship have
special relevance to sport, perhaps as particular applications in sport of values
with far more general scope.
Fair play, therefore, may be seen as the sport-specific application of a
commitment to justice and fairness (Pipe and Hebert, 2008).
Fair play means more than simply the absence of cheating.
It means conducting oneself in accordance with what the sport values, even
when the rules do not specifically require it (Loland, 2002).
It may take the form of telling an opponent when one notices that the
opponent’s equipment has been damaged and may fail resulting in poor
performance or even injury.
Fair play may also be said to be a regulative value within sport.
Only in the context of fair play can a worthwhile competition take place
in which the values athletes pursue through sport have the possibility of
being realized.
In debates over anti-doping and the use of performance-enhancing
drugs and methods in sport, athletes routinely use the metaphor of a
“level playing field” to refer to a sport competition not tilted in favor of
those using drugs (Murray, 2003).
The pursuit of peace is part of the fundamental principles of Olympism as
defined in the Olympic
Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the
qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education,
Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the
educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical
principles.
The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious
development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned
with the preservation of human dignity.
These fundamental principles give rise to the three Olympic values of
„striving for excellence” “demonstrating respect” and “celebrating friendship”
Preserve Human Dignity – Demonstrating Respect “Preserve human dignity”
is based on several fundamental principles: the respect of universal
fundamental ethical principles, the preservation of human dignity and
the practice of sport as a human right. Every individual must have the
possibility of practising sport, without discrimination any kind and in the
Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of
friendship, solidarity and fair play.
ETHICS
 Ethics, sometimes known as philosophical ethics, ethical theory, moral
theory, and moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves
systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and
wrong conduct, often addressing disputes of moral diversity.
 The term comes from the Greek word ἠθικός ethikos from ἦθος ethos,
which means "custom, habit".
 Philosophical ethics investigates what is the best way for humans to
live and what kinds of actions are right or wrong in particular
circumstances

We live in an era of technical and technological advancement that changes
signifi cantly the former characteristics of human life asking from us to
reinvent new solutions to old problems, in an era where very complex issues
of human survival have been reopened, but this time with quite different and
fatal consequences.

To put it more precisely: in the race for profit and consumption as status
symbols, both citizens and the society, as well as athletes, have forgotten that
development comes at a price, and part of that price is the cultural shock due
to the rapid technical and technological development and conflict of interests
of both developed and undeveloped economies.

The task of ethical education in modern society is the development of an
autonomous person (personality) with the capacity to independently
produce ethical solutions and create proper and effective moral norms.

This means that, starting from a philosophical and especially ethical
standpoint in the explication of sport, we should speak of and consider the
value aspects of sport, what are the important axiological guidelines of
sport and what is desired and can be truly achieved by sport in the moral
sense.

These are the issues related to moral values in sport, their fundamental
aspects, i.e. in what way they can be implemented into and contribute to
the strategy for the development of an autonomous person.

As pointed out by Robert L. Simon "they do not relate only to what people
think of sport, or to what value they are held, but they relate to what
people should think of sport".

First, there are different ways of competing:
to beat others
to show to others your superiority
to challenge oneself
to go beyond one’s own limits

Second, the opportunities of competing are many: in everyday life, at
play, at work, in school, and in sport.

Third, we need to consider that mass media can influence students with
unethical behaviors, such as obsession for victory at all costs.

Fourth, competition in itself does not produce many educational benefits,
and the effectiveness of these benefits depends in great part on the
person who directs the activity.
Unfair competition
from dictionary

SPORT

Unfair competition may occur in games if a participant in some way
deviates from the rules of the game, or has privileged access to
important information or resources that should in principle be available
to all participants in the game, or none of them.

Participation in the game normally assumes that participants have an
equal ability to compete in relevant respects, or are able to acquire it
during the game.

In sports, for example, a heavyweight boxer is not usually played
against a lightweight boxer, and the secret use of drugs to enhance
sports performance is usually prohibited in competitions.
Based on these considerations, we deduce that a healthy attitude to competition in
sports is teachable.
The issue in sport education is not too much or too little competition, but
appropriate competition.
There is much to be learned from appropriate competition, both individually and
as a member of a competitive group.
Leaders, educators, and trainers are responsible for the values taught during
sports activities.
They may, or may not, help students to build their own characters morally.
Ethical Implications for Leaders
How to focus sports competition to transform it in a means of teaching ethical
values.
To achieve this goal, leaders should teach what Clifford and Feezell call
principles of sportsmanship, including respect for the rules, respect for the
opponents, officials, and coaches, and respect for oneself.
An ethic of good competition can be built on these basic principles.
The key is to create a list of goals and values that the leadership aims to
convey through the practice of sports. The civic and spiritual values that can
be taught through the practice of sports are many. First, this includes the
virtues that shape personality, such as humbleness, self-discipline, honesty
and rectitude, cooperation and team work, and fostering compassion (love
and mercy) rather than rivalry.
The point is to ensure that sport is not disconnected from real life, but is
part of our lifestyle, in which we look for the good of every one.
Ethical Implications for Leaders

These examples of values are not exhaustive. These values have to be internal
goals. Underlines the need for educators to not focus on external goals, such
as victory and performance and results in the immanent process of struggle
and challenge.

For an ethical approach to sports competition, institutions and leaders would
benefit from fostering the following ideals:

cooperativeness, helpfulness, and selflessness, a cordial spirit, playing
for enjoyment rather than only to win, and observing the rules in spirit and not
merely in letter.

Educators and students should openly discuss the crucial importance of a
respect for the rules. To teach respect for the rules means to teach something
essential for life, because the rules of the game have not only a legal aspect,
but also a moral one.

Rules are there to allow athletes to play under equal conditions, and to
stimulate their creativity within agreed-upon boundaries. To respect the rules
means to recognize the person of the opponent and of the authority, who
guarantees impartiality and integrity among individuals and in the group. By
following the spirit of the rules, students practice the moral behavior that
constitutes an essential step in the building of character and a sense of
community.
 Discipline and engagement; concentration, targeted effort, and
real self-sacrifice; constancy, perseverance, and determination in
reaching the goal; respect of rules, loyalty, and fair play, balance,
satisfaction with the accomplished duty; motivation for reaching
the prize, enthusiasm and happy acceptation of the reward; there
are some of the human qualities that we can develop and
exhibit not only in sports, but also in personal life.
 That practicing competition is not by itself morally wrong. It all
depends on the way it is understood and practiced. The
following scheme shows the contrast between the positive
values transmitted by practicing competition in a good way and
the negative values of practicing competition in a bad way
Right Actions in Competition
Wrong Actions in Competition
Meeting, connection
Squabble, separation
Authenticity
Sophistication
Respect
Not respect of the other
Spirit of competition
Antagonism
Communication
Non communication or aggression
Equality
Inequality
Diversity
Difference, discrimination
Welcome
Rejection
Fantasy, Creativity
Stereotypy
Community
Individualism
Spontaneity
Institutionalization
Total development of the person
Partial development of the person
Ethics
Morality of Situation
Is sports competition an ethical means to convey values?

The ethics of sport assumes not only a respect for the rules, but also respect
for those who stand in front of you. The concept of respect and
acceptance of others is crucial to an ethical understanding of sports
competition. This includes a respect for the rules, for oneself, for the
opponent, and for the authority.

When it is not seen only as a quest for victory, or as a way to one’s
superiority over others, competition may become a means to convey values,
to build up character and a sense of community.

In this sense, competition becomes an instrument to look for “fun, fitness,
therapy, friendship, sociability, or the pursuit of excellence.”

If competition is not overly opposed to cooperation it can become a strong
motivation to personal improvement of both parts.
Is sports competition an ethical means to convey values?

The task of ethical education in modern society is the development of an
autonomous person (personality) with the capacity to independently
produce ethical solutions and create proper and effective moral norms.

The hope of the world rests on such persons for the humanity to find the
way out of a difficult situation, i.e. it is a modus, perhaps the most
important one, for resolving the mounting problems of humankind.

Moral upbringing, as before, continues to exist, but it represents a complete
adaptation of a young person to social objectives and values and his/her
qualification to execute the norms of the society.


The presence of an opponent is necessary to show one’s own limits and
abilities and strive for excellence. To overcome one’s limits and to do his
best, every athlete must be confronted with the talents of his neighbor.
In this way, the opponent becomes a stimulus and a mirror from which the
athlete learns how to grow. The focus is not on how to dominate the
opponent, but on how to improve my own performance compared to his.

Delattre calls this process “a testing for self-discovery,” during which the
athlete learns more about himself. The concept that can make the difference
in competition is that through confrontation, both sides learn to grow.

Therefore, they are indispensable to one another if they want to continue
their growth.
If leaders and athletes become aware of this fact, they may take further
steps toward a practice of sports without a personal, egotistical interest in
the mind.
This may open the door towards a virtue ethics in sports that may help
the individual to build up a better society.


Conclusion
 Discipline and engagement; concentration, targeted effort, and real
self-sacrifice; constancy, perseverance, and determination in
reaching the goal; respect of rules, loyalty, and fair play, balance,
satisfaction with the accomplished duty; motivation for reaching the
prize, enthusiasm and happy acceptation of the reward; there are
some of the human qualities that we can develop and exhibit
not only in sports, but also in personal life.
College Football Hall of Fame calls him
"without question, American football's most-renowned coach."
Literature

Davide Sciarabba. Sports1 and Competition in Higher Education: A
Search for Values and Ethics

Thomas H. Murray. Preserving Sporting Values and Ethics: The
relationship between anti-doping and sport values and ethics

IOC, The Olympic Museum, Lausanne, 1st edition, 2011
Authors The Olympic Museum, Educational and Cultural Service
DidWeDo s.à.r.l

Donev Dean. Moral values in sport as a necessary part in the
concept of ethical education. JAHR - European Journal of
Bioethics, Vol.2 No.; 2011.