| Pragmatism means little without established values that serve as ends to be achieved or upheld. But more than that, there must be the recognition that we make statements on the values that animate our society, and therefore promote an understanding of what is important, through symbolic actions. Thus, symbolic actions become matters of practical importance. Every time we prefer the autonomy of the female to the well- being of her child, as is evident in the case of elective abortions in the last trimester, we are eroding maternal responsibility for infants, and setting up the circumstances where it makes sense to high school girls to dump their new- borns in the trash. We are continually engaged in culture- forming decisions about the relative importance of maternity, about the relative importance of paternity (if it is only the woman's business to abort or carry the child, why should a man pay child support?), about the interests of society in promoting responsibility (it is no one's business if someone uses abortion as a form of birth control, or as a method of sex selection), and so forth......... |
