How we cite our quotes: (Chapter. Paragraph)
Quote #7
No factories spewed smoke, down by the river. No cars ran fouling the air with exhaust; what few there were, were steamers or battery-powered.
There were no songbirds any more, either. (6.46)
So they fixed the pollution problem, but now there are no songbirds. The world is technically better off, but is that all that matters? How does utilitarianism deal with things like art, culture, emotion, and the search for meaning? Sure, people have to have their basic needs met, but once that happens, then what?
Quote #8
Over the pillared portico, incised in white concrete in the straight Roman capitals whose proportions lend nobility to any phrase whatsoever, was the legend: THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER. (9.39)
This quote by Jeremy Bentham is basically utilitarianism boiled down to its basics. This guy believed that the values of pleasures, pains, and the greatest happiness could be calculated by using specific formulas. He also believed that the role of the government was to promote pleasures in its citizens and to help them avoid pain. Does this sound like a good idea? Why or why not? Are there things Bentham hasn't taken into account?
Quote #9
This society is tough-minded, and getting tougher yearly: the future will justify it. We need health. We simply have no room for the incurables, the gene-damaged who degrade the species; we have no time for wasted, useless suffering." He spoke with an enthusiasm that rang hollower than usual; Orr wondered how well, in fact, Haber liked this world he had indubitably made. (9.72)
For once, we get a peek under Dr. Haber's armor, and he actually seems a little remorseful about everything that is happening in his new ideal world. Do you think he really feels that the world he has made is the best one? Or do you think he's a little more insecure than that?