Word: utilitarianism
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...petri dish do not evoke our reflexive compassion the way those individuals suffering from awful, incurable diseases do. And indeed, if emotion were the sole determinant of one’s position, he or she would undoubtedly favor stem-cell research. But public policy should not reflect a hasty utilitarian calculus born of sentimentality; it should reflect logic flowing from scrupulous moral deliberation. That may seem a callous thing to say, especially given the heartfelt appeals for stem-cell research from the likes of Michael J. Fox, who is afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, and Christopher Reeve...
...vast, utilitarian office where Hori and his team of engineers are forging the next-generation eco-car, there's little in the way of glamour. Here, innovation comes through team effort, and individual stars are hard to pinpoint. But Hori is no mere taskmaster. "He gives us the freedom to pursue our own ideas," says assistant manager Yohichi Sugiura, an engine expert...
Once we're in the world, both nature and experience reinforce that need for physical contact, turning us into full-blown tactile bacchanalians. Nursing alone is a powerful reinforcer. The mechanics of animal nursing can be a utilitarian business, with wobbly-legged newborns standing up to drink from Mom as if she were a spigot. Human nursing, by contrast, requires flesh-on-flesh cuddling. What's more, a mother's metabolism ensures that this contact occurs more or less all day long. Anthropologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, professor emeritus at the University of California at Davis, points out that human beings...
...equality of opportunity does not mean that each and every citizen will start at the same socioeconomic position in life. Just because all Americans are entitled to identical resources does not mean that all should be given those resources. For American happiness cannot be weighed on a collective, utilitarian scale: the government has no right to decide at what level of comfort each individual ought to live. Instead, it grants us the individual rights demanded by “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and we are each free to follow our individual beliefs...
Sneakers are the all-purpose shoe: universal and utilitarian. Hardly the stuff of fetishes and exotic collections. But that's changing. Retro collectible sneakers, until recently the domain of fashionistas and fanatical sneakerheads, are now a growing force in the athletic-shoe game. The field boasts its own websites, and exclusive, often unmarked rare-sneaker shops are popping up nationwide. These vintage kicks are even the stuff of urban art, with former pro skateboarder Chris Hall planning to display his collection this month at the Aurora Gallery in New York City. In addition, "Sneaker Pimps," an exhibition featuring rare...