Unpopular Essays On Technological Progress

Unpopular Essays on Technological Progress Nicholas Rescher ln these essays, Nicholas Rescher examines a number of controversial social issues using the intellectual tools of the philosopher. His analysis clarifies such complex and troubling questions as whether technological progress leads to greater happiness, whether we can solve our environmental problems, whether we should proceed with costly scientific research on the frontiers of knowledge. At a time when there is much muddled thinking about the directions our technological society is taking, a clear dissection of each issue into its component parts is especially valuable. Professor Rescher is not afraid to face the hard questions nor to advocate an unpopular point of view. CONTENTS ''Technological Progress and Human Happiness" ''The Environmental Crisis and the Quality of Life" ''The Allocation of Exotic Medical Lifesaving Therapy" "Ethical Issues Regarding the Delivery of Health Care" "Ideals, Justice, and Crime" "Economies Versus Moral Philosophy: The Pareto Principle as a Case Study" "Why Save Endangered Species?" "Scientific Progress and the 'Limits of Growth'" (Continued on back f1ap) UNPOPULAR ESSAYS on Technological Progress UNPOPULAR ESSAYS on Technological Progress NICHOLAS RESCHER University of Pittsburgh Press Published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260 Copyright © 1980, University of Pittsburgh Press Ali rig hts reserved Feffer and Simons, Inc., London Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Rescher, Nicholas. Unpopular essays on technological progress. Includes index. 1. Technology- Philosophy. 2. SciencePhilosophy. 1. Title. 601' .9 79-21648 T14.R42 ISBN 0-8229-3411-6 "The Environmental Crisis and the Ouality of Life," © 1974 by the University of Georgia Press, is reprinted from Philosophy and Environmental Crisis, ed. William T. Blackstone, by permission of the University of Georgia Press. "The Allocation of Exotic Medical Life Saving Therapy," © 1969 bythe University of Chicago, is reprinted from Ethics 29 (1969). "Ethicallssues Regarding the Delivery of Health Care" first appeared in Connecticut Medicine 41 (1977). "Economies Versus Moral Philosophy: The Pareto Principle as a Case Study" first appeared in Theory and Decision 10 (1979), 169-79, © 1979 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland; reprinted by permission of D. Reidel Company. For Catherine patris amore Contents Preface IX 1 Technological Progress and Human Happiness 3 2 The Environmental Crisis and the Quality of Life 23 3 The Allocation of Exotic Medical Lifesaving Therapy 30 4 Ethical Issues Regarding the Delivery of Health Care 45 5 Ideals, Justice, and Crime 6 Economies Versus Moral Philosophy: 57 The Pareto Principle as a Case Study 69 7 Why Save Endangered Species? 8 Scientific Progress and the "Limits of Growth" Notes 107 Name Index Subject Index 119 121 79 93 Preface Notwithstanding their tapical diversity, the essays braug