World-class athletes push themselves beyond normal limits and transform their bodies through training and diet. But in the wake of various scandals across the world of sport, we know pharmaceuticals can also play a role.

Doping is considered a form of cheating, but should it be? And with the arrival of ‘smart drugs’, this is no longer only a worry for sports. Can we ensure a level playing field, in sports and beyond, or will the advances in drug development always outpace regulation? We explore the philosophy behind all things doping, competing, and cheating.

John William Devine is Lecturer in Sports Ethics and Integrity at Swansea University.

Vanessa Heggie is Lecturer in the History of Medicine at the University of Birmingham

David Papineau is Professor of Philosophy at KCL.

Clare Moriarty (@quiteclare) is a Fellow at the Forum for Philosophy.

The Forum for European Philosophy (@ForumPhilosophy) is an educational charity that organises a full and varied programme of philosophy and interdisciplinary events in the UK. 

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEForum

Podcast 

A podcast of this event is available to download from Doping.

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