27 AUGUST 1994, Page 24

Sir: May I be permitted a quibble in response to

Richard Dawkins's admirable defence of the scientific attitude. As a principle of his 'rational moral philoso- phy', Dawkins offers 'the greatest happi- ness of the greatest number'. Years ago, John von Neumann and Oskar Morgen- stern demonstrated the impossibility of maximising two values simultaneously. However, in addition to the logic of the matter, there are psychological reasons why we cannot simultaneously maximise two desiderata.

In short, we can never know whether we are approaching this ideal or moving away from it, and Dawkins's principle is empty. Gwynne Nettler

13347 Corte de Chucena, San Diego, California, USA