Podcast Summary
Exploring the Evolution of Manliness Throughout History: Professor Waller Newell's research on manliness reveals the importance of understanding its historical context to navigate contemporary issues, such as terrorism and the role of masculinity in it.
Professor Waller Newell, a political science professor at Carleton University, has a deep interest in the concept of manliness and its evolution throughout Western history. He has written several books on the subject, including "The Code of Man" and "What is a Man?" His research stems from his long-standing work on ambition, tyranny, and honor seeking in classical thought. He was inspired to write for a larger audience when he noticed his male graduate students were conflicted about what it means to be a man. During their conversations, he discovered a shared observation with author Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote "Fight Club," that something valuable about traditional manliness has been lost in modern times. Newell argues that understanding this rich heritage of manhood is crucial to navigating contemporary issues, such as terrorism and the role masculinity plays in it. By examining manliness throughout history, we can gain insights into what it means to be a virtuous man today.
Ancient Greek philosophers defined manhood as a balance between mind and passion: The traditional concept of manliness as the tempering of hardwired male traits like aggressiveness and ambition remains relevant today, rooted in ancient Greek philosophy.
Throughout Western thought, manhood has been defined as a balance between mind and passion, or self-control and desire. This idea can be traced back to ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Cicero, who depicted manhood as a harmonious partnership between the intellect and passions. Men and women were believed to aspire to the same virtues, but the male path to virtue was understood to involve shaping and tempering traits like aggressiveness and ambition. Recent psychological research suggests that these male traits may be hardwired in human character, and the traditional approach to manliness as the tempering of these traits still holds relevance.
The Western tradition of manliness: Balancing passions and the mind: The Western tradition of manliness emphasizes the balance between passions and the mind, a concept once seen as living and accessible. However, the collective amnesia of the 1960s led to a forgetting of this middle ground, resulting in a distorted version of manliness with extremes of wimpiness and aggression.
The Western tradition of manliness, as embodied by figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Churchill, is rooted in a balance between passions and the mind, which was once seen as living and accessible. However, the belief in progress in the Victorian era didn't prevent immersion in these deep teachings from the past. In contrast, the 1960s led to a collective amnesia about this tradition, resulting in a forgetting of the middle realm between passion and mind. This forgetting has led to a dichotomy between the wimp and the beast, with young men either identifying as weak and politically correct or as aggressive and brutal. The loss of this middle ground has resulted in a distorted version of manliness, leading young men to believe they must act out the extreme version to be manly.
Five Spheres of Masculinity: Love, Courage, Moral Pride, Family, and Patriotism: Embrace the five spheres of love, courage, moral pride, family, and patriotism to achieve emotional, erotic, and spiritual satisfaction, as suggested by the speaker.
The path to a fulfilling and balanced masculinity, as argued by the speaker, involves embracing five distinct yet interconnected spheres: love, courage, moral pride, family and patriotism. Love, being the most relatable and universal experience, can serve as a powerful motivator for men to strive for virtuous conduct and be lovable in return. The speaker suggests that this focus on love could help reclaim the positive meaning of manliness in today's society, where teachings about courage, pride, and family life may seem distant or out of reach. This fivefold path, rooted in classical teachings from philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, offers a roadmap for men to achieve emotional, erotic, and spiritual satisfaction.
The Power of Love and Honor in Personal Growth: Love and honor serve as powerful motivators for personal growth and the development of virtues. Honor and the capacity to feel ashamed for not living up to our best standards are essential components of education and moral development.
Love and the desire to be lovable can serve as powerful motivators for personal growth and the development of virtues such as courage, family values, and patriotism. Honor and the capacity to feel ashamed for not living up to our best standards are essential components of education and moral development, even if it's not a popular viewpoint in modern society. The ancient concepts of honor and shame, as discussed by Aristotle and Adam Smith, emphasized the importance of living up to public expectations and maintaining good manners and gentlemanly conduct. Although we may not have a clear vocabulary for it in modern times, the importance of honor as a driving force for personal and societal improvement remains relevant.
War as a moral wake-up call and source of character development: War can foster courage, self-discipline, and ethical growth, despite its destructive nature.
War, despite its destructive nature, can serve as a moral wake-up call and play a role in shaping a man's character. Living in large mass democracies, we may not be able to fully recover traditional teachings and public honor in politics, but we can still draw from them in our personal experiences. War, as a necessary and just means of self-defense or protecting others, has historically been a source of courage and self-discipline. The ancient Greeks believed that military experience was valuable in cultivating higher virtues of civic life and the mind. However, there is a widespread aversion in academia and media to acknowledging the positive aspects of military virtue and battlefield courage. Despite the controversies surrounding war, it is important to recognize its ethical dimensions and the valuable lessons it can teach us about courage, self-discipline, and the human condition.
The root cause of terrorism isn't poverty, but a perverted sense of nobility or idealism.: Terrorism stems from a twisted belief in working towards a noble purpose, not economic hardships.
The primary cause of terrorism and other violent acts, such as school shootings, is not poverty or lack of economic opportunities. Instead, it's a perverted sense of nobility or idealism that drives individuals to believe they are working towards a noble purpose, often the establishment of a utopian society. This motivation can be found in various revolutionary movements throughout history, and it's not limited to those from poor backgrounds. Understanding this psychological aspect of terrorism can help us approach conflicts with more realism and consider the limitations of extending Western-style pluralism and economic prosperity as solutions. Additionally, it may make us reconsider the wisdom of encouraging the overthrow of authoritarian regimes if the alternative is a committed revolutionary group or ideology.
The Middle East conflicts are not just a clash between Islam and the West: Radical Islamist groups share more with European revolutionary nihilism than Islam's core teachings. Reading historians and classics can deepen understanding of Western manliness.
The current conflicts in the Middle East cannot be simplistically reduced to a clash between the Christian West and the Muslim East. According to Professor Waller Newell, radical Islamist groups like ISIS, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda have more in common with European revolutionary nihilism than with the core teachings of Islam. Newell recommends reading historians like Gibbon and Churchill, as well as classics from Cicero, Plato, Aristotle, and Machiavelli, to gain a deeper understanding of the Western conceptions of manliness. These works offer valuable insights into what it means to be a virtuous man throughout history. Newell's books, such as "The Code of Man," "What is a Man?," and "Tyranny," provide thought-provoking perspectives on masculinity and its role in various political and historical contexts. Readers can find these books on Amazon.com for further exploration.
Supporting Personal Development and Valuable Resources: Investing in yourself and your personal growth, as well as supporting valuable resources, is a manly act.
The Art of Manliness website (artofmanliness.com) and store (store.artofmanliness.com) offer a wealth of knowledge and practical tools for men looking to enhance their lives. The store, in particular, offers unique items like T-shirts, coffee mugs, and a journal inspired by Ben Franklin's virtue journal. By making purchases from the store, you not only gain access to these exclusive items but also contribute to the sustainability of the podcast and the site. In essence, investing in yourself and your personal development, as well as supporting valuable resources, is a manly act.
