We are faced with two facts: globalization is here to stay and its effects on the family have been largely negative. I wish to focus on the ways in which a particular ideology regarding human nature and human rights tends to undermine the family, even in its efforts to help. A more accurate understanding of the foundation of human rights and the human good can, in principle, redirect current efforts at social control in ways that are more family-friendly and that better preserve human dignity. I focus here especially on policies aimed at reducing population growth in developing countries and the number of pregnancies among unmarried women in every country, since these efforts have been zealously applauded in UN conferences and all but forced onto countries that wish to receive financial assistance from international agencies.
