February 2006
In Defense of Manliness
Forgotten Traits Have Placed Polish Over Substance
By Michael D. Altman
Queen City Forum Magazine editor in chief
Manliness, at first glance, doesn’t seem to be the most defensable trait in our brave new politically correct world.
However, the images of man that are being left for the encroaching generation are only shells of what once was: a misogynistic, so-called "manly man", or the BRAVO network watching, pedicure purchasing, metro sexual.
Where they once met -- the true essence of what a man should be -- is in jeopardy of falling off the face of the earth. Manliness is now an expendable appendage.
Harvey Mansfield, the Harvard professor of government and political philosophy, worries that the concept of manliness has become obsolete. As a country is standing to denounce the concept of masculinity, Mansfield defends its place in society. “Manly men defend their turf, just as other male mammals do. The analogy to animals obviously suggests something animalistic about manliness. But manliness is specifically human as well. In Greek, the word for manliness, andreia, is also the word for courage.”
Cover Art February 2006
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So far-reaching is the nation’s need for a more androgynous society that it seems as if the very idea of manliness has been eradicated from the political arena. We are left with either chameleons (changing color with each opinion poll) or overbearing politicians (using testosterone-injected one-liners, yet failing to demonstrate personal courage).
To redefine the concept of manliness, the question must be asked: why would manliness be needed in politics?
Professor Mansfield answers, “Manliness is a quality that causes individuals to stand up for something. It is a quality that calls private persons into public life.”
Of high importance is the element of polish – which many politicians already have – being balanced with real character. Far too often character is not even considered a necessary credential anymore.
The outmoded presumption is that a man who is “well-born” is automatically well educated and of excellent manner. Far be it for a gentleman to have to prove himself as such; he is just born into it. As long as he retains the appearance of a gentleman – to dance beautifully, to speak French and Italian, to be superbly coifed and presented – he continues in his noble status. And so it is today…a gentleman’s well-known name is his calling card for schools, business and politics. |
Mark Twain describes a “gentleman” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, “Colonel Grangeford was a gentleman you see. He was a gentleman all over … His hands was long and thin, and every day of his life he put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to foot made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it; and on Sunday he wore a blue tail coat and brass buttons on it… There weren’t no frivolousness about him, not a bit, and he weren’t never loud.”
The form of a gentleman is there, sure enough, but the substance is lacking.
In contrast, “a virtuous man is a manly man,” says Terry Grundy. The University of Cincinnati professor, urban reformer and historian insists that we reserve the term gentleman for the man who has the whole package of strength, ethics and social grace. “Our word virtue comes from a Latin word that means man,” Grundy explains, “so a real gentleman is a manly man and a virtuous man at the same time.”
Grundy contends that we’re right to reject superficial definitions of gentlemanliness, but at the same time believes that the role of the real gentleman is essential to the success of any society. “Gentility consists in earnestly developing in oneself all the relevant virtues and, having done so, diligently applying them to the social demands of one’s moment in history.” This is not only a defensible definition of the gentleman, it’s an essential one. Clearly, he is extending the concept well beyond the superficial definition we customarily encounter.
Mansfield asks, “Does Democracy, then, tend to produce, and require manliness?” If the answer is yes, at its root we will find a gentleman. And, in doing so, we will demand that those in politics accurately portray these fundamentals, both before and after they enter politics. Politics must not be the resort that houses the unaccomplished.
While it’s undoubtedly true that many politicians aren’t gentlemen and that most gentlemen don’t enter politics, we would be well-advised to find ways to bar the former from politics and invite the latter into it. If we hope to thrive as a society, doing so may be the only chance we got.
Erm... have.
Michael D. Altman writes “I Don’t Mind Telling You” based on the dynamic of human and political bliss and frailty. The monthly feature in QCF Magazine hits on local and national politics and sometimes suggests where to eat.
Contact Information
· michaelda@queencityforum.com
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