Society needs both parents and nonparents, both the work party

When Virginia Postrel said, “Society needs both parents and nonparents, both the work party and the home party. While raising children is the most important work most people will do, not everyone is cut out for parenthood. And, as many a childless teacher has proved, raising kids is not the only important contribution a person can make to their future,” she was articulating a truth as old as civilization itself: that the strength of a community depends not on sameness, but on balance. Her words remind us that the tapestry of humanity is woven from many kinds of threads—some that nurture life directly, and others that sustain it through wisdom, labor, and art. Beneath her reflection lies an eternal principle: that all who act from purpose and love are parents of the future, whether or not they raise a child of their own.

The origin of this quote is found in Postrel’s exploration of culture and values—her desire to understand how societies thrive when diverse roles are honored equally. She speaks as a voice of reason in a world that often measures worth by conformity. Her statement is not a rejection of parenthood, but a defense of plural purpose—of the truth that every human being bears within them a unique calling. In her vision, the work party and the home party are not rivals but allies. One builds the hearth; the other ensures the fire of progress continues to burn. Together, they form the balance that sustains the human story.

When she says, “raising children is the most important work most people will do,” she pays homage to the sacred duty of parenting—the ancient art of shaping souls and guiding the next generation. From the dawn of time, parents have stood as the first teachers, the guardians of continuity. The ancients revered this role. In Greece, the household was not merely a dwelling but the foundation of society; in Confucian thought, the harmony of the family mirrored the harmony of the cosmos. Yet, in her wisdom, Postrel adds that not everyone is meant for this path. To force a calling where it does not belong is to sow discord both within the soul and within the world. True virtue lies not in imitation, but in authenticity.

She invokes the childless teacher as a living symbol of this truth. Think of Socrates, who had no children of his own, yet fathered countless minds through his dialogues. His legacy is not of blood, but of thought; not of lineage, but of influence. Or consider Florence Nightingale, who never bore a child, yet became a mother to the wounded and the weary. Through her compassion, she redefined the meaning of care itself. These figures prove what Postrel declares: that nurture takes many forms, and that the world requires both those who raise children and those who raise consciousness, knowledge, and hope.

Her words also carry a quiet warning against judgment—against the tendency of societies to exalt one path while diminishing another. The ancients knew that imbalance invites decay. A society that venerates only the home neglects innovation; a society that honors only labor forgets compassion. The wise, therefore, recognize the sacred rhythm between these forces. The parent cultivates love in the household; the builder, the scholar, and the artist extend that love into the greater world. The future belongs to both—the one who teaches with words, and the one who teaches through generations.

From this reflection comes a powerful lesson: honor every path of contribution. Whether you tend a garden of children or ideas, whether your work is at the cradle or the forge, remember that creation takes many shapes. The one who mentors, the one who invents, the one who writes, the one who leads—all share in the labor of civilization’s continuity. To diminish another’s path is to weaken the whole. The ancients taught that every person is a pillar in the temple of society; remove one, and the structure falters.

So let Virginia Postrel’s wisdom endure in the hearts of those who hear it. The world does not advance by one kind of work alone—it flourishes when each person fulfills their calling with purpose and integrity. If you are a parent, raise your children with love and courage. If you are not, raise your craft, your compassion, your community. For in truth, we are all midwives of the future, delivering new life into the world—not only through birth, but through service, wisdom, and creation. Let this be the creed of a balanced age: that every act done in love, whether in the home or the world beyond, is an offering to generations yet to come.