Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2012-08-31]: We've heard of odd rules put in place to keep Olympians and Paralympians from gaining an unfair advantage, but this is odd and more than a little scary: Against regulations, some Paralympians may physically hurt themselves — even to the point of breaking a bone--in order to get an edge in competition. The BBC interviews an athlete who shocked himself as a way of "boosting," as it's called; injuring yourself, the theory goes, can increase blood pressure or heart rate, and thus enhance performance [source: 1, 2]. How stupid can one be? Respecting one’s body is as important as respecting one’s soul. And respecting your self is even more important! Loosing a leg? You can get through that – many of the other (logical) Paralympians have shown it! Loosing your dignity for a record and fame? You can never get through that…(c) Philosophy WIRES - Commenting world news from philosophy's perspective...
