功利 (gōng lì) — (philosophy) utility; (pejorative) pursuit of personal gain; mercenary attitude
Definition
Two senses: in philosophy, 'utility' (as in 功利主义 utilitarianism); in everyday use, a pejorative 'mercenary, out for personal gain.' Unlike 用处 ('usefulness,' neutral) or 益处 ('benefit'), 功利 always carries that self-interested, results-only judgment.
noun
(philosophy) utility(pejorative) pursuit of personal gainmercenary attitude
Examples
- 功利，。Tā zuò rèn hé shì dōu zhī kàn zhòng gōng lì, bú zài hu gǎn qíng.He only cares about personal gain in everything he does, not about feelings.
- 。Gōng lì zhǔ yì zhé xué qiáng diào zuì dà duō shù rén de zuì dà xìng fú.Utilitarian philosophy emphasizes the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
- 功利，。Xiàn zài de shè huì fēng qì tài zhù zhòng gōng lì, hěn duō rén jí gōng jìn lì.Current social trends place too much emphasis on utility, and many people are eager for quick success.
Appears in
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