Hudson Institute
Manliness: Book Discussion with Author Harvey C. Mansfield, Jr.

On March 15, WIP students were invited to the Hudson Institute for a lecture by Harvey Mansfield, Jr. who discussed his new book Manliness, published by Yale University Press. Mansfield asked why men need to feel “important” and tried to define the essence of manliness in a modern context. Drawing upon science, literature, and philosophy, the author examined aspects of masculinity ranging from assertiveness to aggression and the philosophical roots of these notions. He showed that manliness welcomes drama, war, conflict, and risk while favoring change or the restoration of order at crucial moments in history. So-called “manly” individuals like to raise political issues and take concrete steps, according to Mansfield, who discussed the relationship of manliness to the women’s movement. After a wide-ranging tour of stereotypes from Achilles to Hemingway and Plato to Nietzsche, the writer returned to today’s problem of “unemployed manliness.” Formulating a rational defense of a quality hardly obedient to reason, he urged men and women alike to understand manliness and respect it in an honest way – even at a time when it may have fallen out of fashion.

Back to activities main page