A ‘Game’ Bird? On Why Hunting is Not a Game and Thus Not a Sport

Humphreys, Rebekah (2023) A ‘Game’ Bird? On Why Hunting is Not a Game and Thus Not a Sport. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

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Abstract

This paper aims to provide a conceptual analysis of blood-sport as a concept. Through utilising a generalised notion of sport as well as the concept of fair-play, the objective will be to examine whether blood-sports are games and analyse to what extent, if any, blood-sports can be properly called ‘sports’. For the purposes of application and because of the sheer numbers of birds used in the sports-shooting industry, the paper will focus on a discussion of game-birding, but the findings will apply to the practice of ‘blood-sport’ more generally. Work by Sam P. Morris (IJAP, 2014) argues that ‘fair-chase hunting’ can be classified as a game, as well as a sport, although Morris stresses that answers to questions concerning the sport status of hunting do not provide answers to questions regarding the ethics of blood-sports. The author of this paper agrees with Morris regarding the latter point, but pace Morris, she argues that it is doubtful that blood-sport is a game let alone a sport, and that even if one assumes for argument's sake that it is indeed a game, it cannot be properly classed as sport, and that a fair-chase code undermines itself in the context of so called ‘blood-sports’.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Suits, games, blood-sport, fair-play, game birds
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) S Agriculture > SK Hunting sports
Divisions:	Institutes and Academies > Institute of Education and Humanities > Academic Discipline: Humanities and Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Rebekah Humphreys
Date Deposited:	03 Apr 2023 10:24
Last Modified:	13 Nov 2023 16:45
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/2355

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