S ound public policy depends on a careful calibration of competing interests, a weighing of values and variables. Good outcomes seldom come from slapping slogans on a complex But these unbendable rights have one thing in common: They all concern a person’s individual choices and opportunities. They do not affect or threaten others. But when it comes to highly competitive sports, the famous “harm principle” comes into play, which was articulated by the 19th-century philosopher John Stuart Mill: “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”
