Manliness

I thought Walter Newell's lecture on modern manhood was interesting and thought provoking. It is true that the notion of the modern man is becoming more like that of men in "Fight Club", that is, men who are violent, aggressive, and ruthless. However, the notion of what it means to be a man has changed over time. In the past, manliness and manly virtues represented chivalry, family values, and courage. It is interesting to see how the notion of manliness has changed from positive to negative over time. Hopefully, the chivalrous, courageous manliness that Newell advocated for will become the norm as we live out the rest of our lives. Lastly, I thought it was interesting how Newell referred to men in classics such as the works of Homer. Although Newell claimed that the chivalrous values of manhood existed in Homer, he admitted that in many major classic works there was always a man that embodied rage. As important as chivalry was in the ancient world, the rage and aggression associated with modern manhood still existed.