Looking the Other in the Eye as a Guide for Policymaking

Looking the other in the eye is a figure of speech that has a moral significance beyond its literary service. To be extended to public policy (i.e., beyond the faceto- face interactions of tightly knit communities), it must be applied to interactions mediated by institutions and cultural patterns. This can be done through a careful reformulation of what the figure of speech means. The possible use of this figure of speech in guiding policymaking is illustrated by applying it to two issues-homelessness and setting highway speed limits-to show how it can guide and clarify consideration of complex issues.