In the last post we talked about some of the special
qualities men need to develop in order to contribute to civilization. To be
fair, it seems we ought to look at some of the special qualities women need to
develop in their contribution to civilization.
I’ve written about the importance of
motherhood and
women to
civilization. Today I think I’d like to look at something specifically
connecting economics and civilization, because we count on women to make contributions
without remuneration.
Much of the economic debate is limited to the southern
hemisphere of the
Spherical Model. The statist side (southeast quadrant)
believes that people can’t be counted on to earn enough to support themselves,
make the best decisions about how to spend any money they earn, and take care
of those who are unable to care for themselves (those too elderly, too young,
too ill, or too underprivileged). The better parts of the southwest quadrant align
with the Atlas Shrugged view, with this creed:
“I swear—by my life and my love of it—that I will never live
for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
At
Spherical Model, the economic answer leading to
civilization is always a combination of free market plus philanthropy.
Imagine, seriously, if mothers lived by John Galt’s oath.
The world would collapse. It is the fatal flaw of Ayn Rand’s philosophy that
she eliminates several essential qualities that are part of womanhood. She
admires women who are like men: self-sufficient, intelligent, hard-working,
entrepreneurial—all good qualities—but also infertile while sexually
promiscuous, unsympathetic, and lacking in altruism. Dedicating your life to
care for others for the sake of love instead of earning money is anathema to
Rand’s world. (I wrote about this in much more detail in a three-part post
here,
here, and especially
here).
The fact of humanity is that there are some people who
depend on others through no fault of their own. Children are essential for our
future, and any care we give them pays off for the future of us all. But it is
usually women who are willing to do the day-in-day-out loving care, forgoing
pay to do it.
I do not in any way intend to discuss whether women should
be stay-at-home moms. I only know what God led me to do at various seasons, and
I trust that other women can listen to God’s voice in their circumstances.
Women are intelligent and capable; in today’s world, women are more likely to
have college degrees and succeed academically. Woman can make many many
valuable contributions to the economy. Nevertheless, civilization depends on
the contributions women make without being paid.
While men can and should do many of these things as well,
women as a demographic whole are more likely to give emotional nurturing to
children, see to the academic progress of children, seek opportunities for
social and physical growth and see to the spiritual training of children. While
she goes about this, she is more likely to do volunteer work in schools and
community organizations.
She is more likely to care for elderly adults. She is more
likely to do the cards, letters, and gifts that keep family and friends
connected. She is more likely to plan and carry out holiday celebrations.
Imagine Thanksgiving if we expected nothing from women except what we pay for.
Imagine what homes would look like if women didn’t take it
upon themselves to surround themselves and their loved ones with beauty and
comfort. (Example: look at the difference between a series of girls’ dorm room
and boys’.)
There are so many talents and abilities women naturally
share, abilities we count on, that there’s a problem with women comparing
themselves to the best examples in every category and always feeling they fall
short, even when their unheralded giving pushes them beyond exhaustion.
Contrary to popular belief, women receive either equal or
superior pay for equal work, and have done for some time. Where there seem to
be differences, they are because women choose to spend less time at the office
so she can spend more time with family and other ways that contribute to
quality of life. She is more likely to break up her career for the sake of
children. If her child is sick, she’s more likely to take time off from work
than the dad is. If there’s a special event in the child’s life, she’s more
likely to rearrange her schedule to be there.
Women make men more civilized than they would be without
her, just by being part of his life. He’ll also be more productive and successful
in his work than he would be without her in his life. Men want respect, and a
wife can give him that; women want to be loved and cherished (more than
rewarded with money), and a faithful, civilized man can give her that.
According to the conclusion of the
Motherhood Study, many
mothers understand she “holds a fragile but nonetheless powerful cultural
position as the last best defense against what many people see as the
impoverishment of social ties, communal obligations, and unremunerated
commitments” (p. 42). Women ceasing to value civilization is a quicker route to
savagery than men ceasing to value civilization. Economic necessity might
require more of women in the workplace, but civilization also requires that she
keep doing what she feels the life-giving need to do regardless of pay.
Women, value yourselves for what you do so unselfishly. Men,
let her know how valuable you know she is.
