I'm sure all those responses and counters have some great points, but I don't have time to read them all right now, unfortunately. David Brooks had a column today that basically says the exact opposite. That is, pragmatists miss the point of life by reducing everything to a calculus of costs and benefits. I think this equally misses the point. We need ideals and empathy to guide decision making, but with an eye toward a big picture. If we abandon either we're left to be fundamentalist zealots (if we forgo pragmatism), or Dick Cheney (if we lose all empathy for Man, and pursue a real politik in policy matters). The middle way is the best. Sometimes we require sacrifice, but if we lose our moral outrage at forced sacrifices, then it's a small step to depraved indifference. Pragmatism vs. idealism is a false dichotomy.