I enjoyed this brief essay, as I do most of your writing.
Have you ever written on the subject of abortion directly? I remember really enjoying something you wrote several years ago for the American Conservative entitled "Every Sparrow's Fall", but that piece was more about how you felt those who appose abortion should try to take into account the woman's POV and less about abortion itself.
If you have, I would really like to read it. I know it is a sensitive subject. I ask because you've touched on it a few times in your recent pieces (though I know that's largely driven by the news/pending Dobbs case) but mostly because I've followed your writing ever since you were at the AC and I admire how you think through issues. Did you study philosophy at all? Your piece "What's Natural About Natural Law?" is just great and I've gone back to it a number of times.
If not, then I just wanted to say again that I enjoy your writing!
Thank you for writing, Matthew -- and I apologize for taking so long to respond. I must have lost your note in the shuffle.
I don't know that I have written about the subject of abortion directly. I may at some point. There are a number of issues that I haven't tackled directly; I suppose the reason is that it's just very hard to say something new, interesting and consequential that way. Too often one winds up merely declaring what side one is on, which on issues where the battle lines are so hardened doesn't strike me as necessarily worth doing. But perhaps I will do it one of these days.
I have no formal training in philosophy. I took a couple of classes in college, and otherwise I'm an autodidact. That is probably why I have never read Kant, for example.
Finally, I am deeply touched that pieces I wrote so many years ago still resonate with you. It feels, most of the time, like this medium is designed to be ephemeral, and I sometimes get rather down on myself for having devoted so much time to an ephemeral medium, since I've always cared more about my work lasting, deepening with readers over time, than I have about it maximizing my number of readers.
Hello Mr. Millman,
I enjoyed this brief essay, as I do most of your writing.
Have you ever written on the subject of abortion directly? I remember really enjoying something you wrote several years ago for the American Conservative entitled "Every Sparrow's Fall", but that piece was more about how you felt those who appose abortion should try to take into account the woman's POV and less about abortion itself.
If you have, I would really like to read it. I know it is a sensitive subject. I ask because you've touched on it a few times in your recent pieces (though I know that's largely driven by the news/pending Dobbs case) but mostly because I've followed your writing ever since you were at the AC and I admire how you think through issues. Did you study philosophy at all? Your piece "What's Natural About Natural Law?" is just great and I've gone back to it a number of times.
If not, then I just wanted to say again that I enjoy your writing!
Thank you for writing, Matthew -- and I apologize for taking so long to respond. I must have lost your note in the shuffle.
I don't know that I have written about the subject of abortion directly. I may at some point. There are a number of issues that I haven't tackled directly; I suppose the reason is that it's just very hard to say something new, interesting and consequential that way. Too often one winds up merely declaring what side one is on, which on issues where the battle lines are so hardened doesn't strike me as necessarily worth doing. But perhaps I will do it one of these days.
I have no formal training in philosophy. I took a couple of classes in college, and otherwise I'm an autodidact. That is probably why I have never read Kant, for example.
Finally, I am deeply touched that pieces I wrote so many years ago still resonate with you. It feels, most of the time, like this medium is designed to be ephemeral, and I sometimes get rather down on myself for having devoted so much time to an ephemeral medium, since I've always cared more about my work lasting, deepening with readers over time, than I have about it maximizing my number of readers.
So, once again, thank you.