By DONALD DeMARCO
On April 8, 2019 a small contingent of men, representing TFP (Tradition, Family, and Property) visited the campus of Penn State to speak in defense of the unborn. This is a scenario that has been played out numerous times throughout the United States in an attempt to establish an honest dialogue with those who defend abortion.
Modern philosophers have spilled more ink on the subject of alienation than on any other subject. In contrast to the notion of alienation is “participation,” a value to which St. John Paul II has given a great deal of thought. Closely related to participation is another philosophical value, also one that the former Pope has meticulously developed, namely, “dialogue.”
“The mark of the communal — or social — trait,” John Paul writes, “is essentially imprinted on human existence itself.” In other words, human beings are co-natured in such a way that participating in the lives of others, precisely as persons, is both beneficial and fulfilling to both the self as well as others.
Therefore, “participation is the factor that determines the personalistic value of all cooperation. The sort of cooperation — or, more precisely, of acting together with others — in which the element of participation is missing, deprives the actions of the person of their personalistic value,” he writes.
“Dialogue,” as the Holy Father goes on to say, “allows us to select and bring to light what in controversial situations is right and true, and help to eliminate any partial, preconceived, or subjective views and trends.”
In watching the video of the Penn State event, what struck me more than anything else was the absolute refusal of participation and dialogue on the part of several female students. They insisted, repeatedly and categorically, that men had no business getting involved in the abortion discussion simply because they are men. They precluded any further discussion by hurling a torrent of obscenities at the TFP men, who remained steadfast in their courtesy.
Participation and dialogue, especially as John Paul has defined them, are genuine expressions of humanity. A rejection of these values strikes against one’s own status as a human being. It is by virtue of the fact that we are human beings that we can participate in each other’s lives. And among the fruits of participation are knowledge, empathy, and love. One’s sex should not be a barrier to any of these factors. In fact, human sexuality offers a powerful inclination toward participation. A good marriage between a man and a woman is proof of this.
There was a time when women were not allowed to enter the medical profession precisely because they were female. A few sensible and stout-hearted women reasoned that sex should not be a barrier to knowledge. Medicine, after all, is built on science and women, being rational beings, just as men are, should be allowed to pursue studies in medicine.
Well, some men were listening and the sex barrier was finally broken. Women entered medical schools and many of them made outstanding contributions in the field. Elizabeth Blackwell, on January 23, 1849, became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. The local press reported her graduation favorably and the dean, Dr. Charles Lee, paid tribute to her when he awarded the degree by standing up and bowing to her. And, as they say, the rest is history.
A male fetologist knows a great deal more about the unborn child than, let us say, a freshman co-ed who has never taken a course in biology. Knowledge is the key factor and, to reiterate, sex is not a barrier to knowledge (though willfulness can be).
Ironically, sex is the universal property that allows men and women to know each other in a profoundly personal way. To argue that sex alienates the sexes is to argue against the kind of empathy that allows people of different sexes to know each other most intimately.
To be liberal, it seems, is to encourage togetherness, collaboration, unity of purpose, and not to allow sex, race, religion, or opinion to stand in the way. If a man has nothing to say about abortion, perhaps men should not be allowed to pursue careers in obstetrics or gynecology. Going a step further, perhaps, as Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir have argued, marriage between men and women should be prohibited. Is one’s status as a father irrelevant to the welfare of his own unborn child?
By logical extension, though without realizing it, the strident female students, who denounced the role of the male in the abortion issue, were calling for a form of alienation between the sexes that would oppose all those beautiful and desirable qualities that are part of a liberal agenda.
Have people lost sight of what it means to be human? By virtue of our common humanity we have a built-in capacity to know each other precisely as co-humans and to share and enjoy the gifts of that fundamental capacity. One does not need to be pro-life or Christian to realize this. Publius Terence, the old Roman playwright, remarked, “I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me” (Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto).
One keeps on speaking or writing without ever expecting success. Doing one’s duty does not guarantee victory. The abortion issue is the most critical of all moral issues because it touches upon the basic notion of being human. Knowing and caring for each other is neither an option nor a position. It is why we are here and is bound up with the very meaning of life. A sad and lonely future awaits those women who reject the care and concern that men can provide. Reality will not be kind to those who flee from it.
Men and women do not belong to different species. They are both human, and sex is a force that is designed to bring them closer together.
(Dr. Donald DeMarco is professor emeritus of St. Jerome’s University and adjunct professor at Holy Apostles College. He is a regular columnist for St. Austin Review. His latest two books, How to Navigate through Life and Apostles of the Culture of Life, are posted on amazon.com. 12 Values of Paramount Importance is in process.)
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