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Drugs in sport debate: Moderator’s closing comment
Our debate could have been polarized, between a pure libertarianism which advocates the lifting of all restrictions on performance-enhancing drugs in all sports, and a pure prohibitionism (similar to the WADA's) which rules out any use of such drugs in any sport. In fact, it has been more nuanced. There has been a good deal
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Drugs in sport debate: Opposer’s closing statement
by John William Devine I have advanced two main lines of argument in favour of a ban on doping: 1. Doping may preclude the display of certain excellences that we value in sport, 2. Even where doping does not preclude the display of relevant excellences, it may disrupt the balance of excellences in a sport.
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Drugs in sport debate: Proposer’s closing statement
by Julian Savulescu At the beginning of this debate, I said doping would be a part of the World Cup. Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest footballer playing today, will star in the line up for Argentina against Germany in the Quarter Finals. At the age of 15, Spanish football team Barcelona paid for him to
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The Rational Bigot
There are a few old white ladies in their 80s who might wish to blow up a plane, but on the whole, if your job is in airline security and security is your only concern, it would be rational to pay closer scrutiny to passengers who are single, young males, probably of south Asian or
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Survey on community attitudes on early and late abortion
Do Australians’ believe that women should be able to access abortion later in pregnancy? A new survey (Australian attitudes on access to early and late abortion. Lachlan de Crespigny, Dominic Wilkinson, Thomas Douglas, Mark Textor, Julian Savulescu MJA 2010; 193: 1-4) of 1050 Australians published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows that the answer
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Australians support women’s access to late abortion
by Lachlan de Crespigny, Thomas Douglas, Mark Textor and Julian Savulescu Regular calls to limit numbers of abortions are a familiar cry. Yet people are outraged if a friend or family member with a serious complication in much wanted pregnancy reluctantly requests an abortion but encounters resistance. Or when a woman faces a criminal court,
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An Ethical Approach to Abortion
by Julian Savulescu Abortion should be decriminalised. Early abortion should be freely and easily available on request. Late abortion should be freely and easily available at least for those who have a valid justification: significant fetal abnormality, threat to woman’s health or a serious social reason, for example child pregnancy or rape. Family planning, including
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Special Edition: Should we allow late abortion?
There have been a number of articles in the media about abortion in the last few weeks. The British Prime Minister has suggested that the time limit for (relatively) unrestricted access to abortion should be reduced from 24 to 22 or 20 weeks. A survey published tomorrow in an Australian medical journal suggests that the
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Motherhood and the ticking clock
A few days ago, during the Rome meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, a group of Iranian researchers leaded by Professor Ramezani Tehrani said that in a short time we will be able to predict when a woman will hit menopause many years before it actually happens.
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Will you live to 100? Should we tell people that they have (or lack) the genes for long life?
In the news today – scientists have identified a cluster of longevity genes. From the Daily Mail A genetic test which tells whether you will make it to your century has been developed by scientists. The computer program will give individuals their odds of reaching the age of 100 – and tell them whether their