ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to present and criticise the argument that allowing doping would lead to an inefficient ‘arms race’ that the athletes would oppose. The idea is that everyone who wants to be a part of sport and who also wants to win must use doping. Yet, the consequences of this arms race are that no one will gain a competitive edge, while the athletes must pay the health-related and financial costs of using doping. I want to show that this type of argumentation rests on some problematic assumptions, and that rational athletes should opt for the legalisation of doping. For instance, as illustrated in Chapter 1, it is far from certain that use of doping is harmful. Whether that, is the case, depends on the type of doping in question and how it is administered. Furthermore, it is not obvious that athletes actually want a doping-free sport. The fact that several athletes actually use doping even though it is prohibited shows that they want to use doping in order to enhance their performance.
