Throughout the course, we have seen that sports gives us different ways to think about how weseparate right from wrong. Another way of saying this, then, is that sports prompts debatesabout what is ‘just’ in different situations. Specifically, we’ve seen how this plays out in terms ofboth formal rules (like laws or league penalties) and informal rules (i.e. norms). Further, we’veseen that one cannot really argue that a particular practical result is right unless one can showhow that result is consistent with some underlying standard or principle.The final assignment asks you to write a 3-4 page ‘position paper’ arguing for a particularapplication of some such principle in sports. It can be a reform that you think is necessary or areinforcement of the status quo against people who want to change it; it can be as large-scaleas a sweeping legal change (within reason) or as small-scale as some informal expectationabout how athletes conduct themselves. It does not have to be from the reading, but you areencouraged to use the kinds of issues discussed in the readings/lectures as a guide. Either way,though, specific is always better.Your paper will be assessed in two main ways: how clearly you articulate your practical position(e.g. ‘I think that sports leagues should punish __ because it does __’) and how well youexplain why this outcome is just. In doing so, it is usually especially important to compare yourproposition to alternatives or counterarguments and explain why you think yours is morejustifiable.
