Monday, January 24, 2011

The Ethics of Pragmatism

Loyola's generosity with newspapers is a great resource. Though I don't read papers daily, having The New York Times and USA Today on hand makes my soul smile. I'm the lazy reader who will read one paper for five days. So make sure to prolong your "Israel-Palestine Peace" parties until I finish the article.

I read a USA Today article about President Obama's pragmatism. In summary, Obama's pragmatism makes him hard to define. We don't "know who he is yet." I remember reading about his pragmatism as a benefit in the run-up to election day. Now it seems as though it is more of a haze than a quality. It should still be viewed as a strength, as results should drive the action.

Sure, pragmatists can give themselves lots of wiggle room in how they approach things. And they could be seen as "fake", which would make them hated by about 75% of 13-16 year olds (approximation based on Facebook profiles). However, even if a person changes his views, it does not necessarily make him inconsistent. The person is loyal to the end, not the method. And no person should have to be pigeonholed by some standard. We are growing, changing creatures. Nobody is static throughout life, nor are values. I'd like to think I'm a pretty cool person right now. I also realize when I'm 28 I'll probably think I was a 19-year-old dickhead. Pragmatism lets us grow to tackle situations, so long as we respeck' the mind of the result.

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