• Home
  • Features
    • Essays
    • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
    • Fitness
    • Masculine Style
  • Reviews
    • Books
  • About
    • Contact
  • JOIN OUR VIP MAILING LIST

  • SUPPORT US ON PATREON

  • Follow CHEST On

  • Home
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • Essays
  • Lifestyle
    • Masculine Style
    • Fitness
  • Reviews
    • Books
  • About
    • Contact

Masculinity, Morality & The Problem of Identity

May 25, 2022
Cameron Dixon
Website | + posts

Cameron Dixon is a Catholic Husband, Father, Engineer and author of the Praxis of Man blog.

  • Cameron Dixon
    #molongui-disabled-link
    BOOK REVIEW | American Muckraker
  • Cameron Dixon
    #molongui-disabled-link
    The Abolition of Man
  • Cameron Dixon
    #molongui-disabled-link
    BOOK REVIEW | Final Spin by Jocko Willink
  • Cameron Dixon
    #molongui-disabled-link
    BOOK REVIEW | The King of Dogs

In his cult-classic book The Way of Men, CHEST Co-founder Jack Donovan made an essential distinction in the philosophy of masculinity when he laid out the difference between being a good man, and being good at being a man:

“There is a difference between being a good man and being good at being a man. Being a good man has to do with ideas about morality, ethics, religion, and behaving productively within a given civilizational structure. Being good at being a man is about showing other men that you are the kind of guy they’d want on their team if the shit hits the fan.”

As the above quote implies, this distinction is a matter of being, or what is called ontology (a branch of philosophy that studies concepts such as existence, being, identity, and reality). To be a good man and to be good at being a man both have to do with the current state of a man’s existence in the world. To say a man is good at being a man is to say that he is being a man well. And to say he is being a man well is to say he is fulfilling some kind of intended goal or purpose for his existence.

While it is certainly true that being good at being a man is different from being a good man, any definition of being a good man (even in the strictly moral sense) must include being good at being a man. To understand why that is the case, we must look at the problem of identity.

The Problem of Identity

Most people have probably never taken a moment to ponder what makes things what they are. When we look at an object, we tend to just know what it is without having to actually understand how our brain translates material into form. This is a rather cliche example in philosophical circles, but what exactly makes a chair a chair? Is it the shape? The size? What it’s made out of? It seems like the most natural inclination to reduce things down to their physical characteristics — their shape, size, weight, color, etc all tell us, in a sense, what those things are. Unfortunately, solving the problem of identity is not that simple.

When we look at an object such as a chair, we tend to see just one thing — a chair. The reality is that a chair is not really just one thing, it is a multitude of things. A seat, a back, legs, paint, screws, the list goes on and on. We can continue to break down each of these parts into even smaller units until we eventually get to the near-infinite number of atoms that makes up any given object. As we can see, a chair is not just a chair, it is actually a near-infinite number of individual things that we somehow bind together into a singular object. When we look at a chair, despite it being made of many many parts, we see a whole. How does this happen?

Some might be tempted to explain this phenomenon by appealing to some human ability of pattern recognition. There is some merit to that, but it cannot tell the whole story.

Although there are many ways in which a particular chair is similar to every other chair in the world, that chair also has a nearly infinite number of idiosyncratic details that make it different from every other chair in the world as well. We can recognize a pattern in the object that we are familiar with, but in a rather strange way, it is both alike and not like every other object of the same kind. The category “chair” clearly cannot be determined merely by a list of physical characteristics. If all chairs are just as much (or even more) different than they are alike, how can we truly say they are all the same type of thing? Furthermore, if we were to take the materials that make up the aforementioned chair and turn them into something else (a table for example) the identity of the object would change despite being made of the exact same substance as before.

If the identity of a thing clearly cannot be determined by examining the raw material it is made out of, where then do these categories come from?

Purpose & Identity

The key to answering this question of identity is found in another philosophical term — telos. Telos is an Ancient Greek word meaning “end”, “purpose”, or “goal.” It is essentially the reason for a thing’s existence. When we perceive an object, we subconsciously perceive its telos. When we see a cup, we see a bunch of glass put together into a random shape, we see an object used for holding liquid for drinking. Our perception of the object is inseparable from its purpose.

We determine its identity based on what the object is for, not the material it is made out of.

 

We also judge the quality of the object based on how well it is able to fulfill its purpose. A knife, for example, is considered good if it is able to perform the function of cutting. That is its purpose and reason for existing. No one judges the quality of a knife based on its ability to hammer a nail. Not only is the identity of a knife determined by its intended function, but so too its quality is determined by its ability to perform that intended function well.

A dull knife doesn’t stop being a knife, but it stops being a good knife and it stops being good at being a knife. Likewise with men. A man who is not masculine doesn’t stop being a man by virtue of his biology, but he does stop being good at being a man and by extension being a good man.

This means that in order for something to be virtuous, it must be able to achieve its telos. Any quality of a particular thing that is judged without reference to its purpose is ultimately disordered. Without purpose, without a goal, without a telos, things are just unintelligible clumps of matter.

If we reduce everything down to the material it is made out of, its identity is erased. Imagine looking at the statue of David and saying “that’s just a bunch of marble” or the Mona Lisa and saying “that’s just a bunch of paint”. Clearly, we would be missing the most fundamental aspect of the identity of the art which has nothing to do with the raw chemicals that it is made from.

This may seem like abstract philosophical nonsense that has no practical value to most men, but I assure you this identity problem is relevant to the topic at hand.

The Moral Form of Man

As we have seen, a thing’s identity is intrinsically tied to its purpose — what it is for. Although there are certainly relevant differences between animate and inanimate things, the principles of identity still apply in a broad sense. And so it follows that men, as human beings, also have a purpose for which they exist — a Platonic form they are participating in.

This form serves as a universal pattern or way of being that is the standard by which all men are judged. The category of “man” exists for a particular purpose and function and we judge a man’s worth based on how well he is able to perform that function. It is inherently wrapped up in his identity as a creature.

People have been debating what it means to be a man for a very long time now, and that won’t stop anytime soon. As cultures develop and change, their understanding of the purpose of masculinity also changes.

Different men from different religious backgrounds will all have a different set of moral principles that serve as their foundation of goodness, and I am not here to debate which religious tradition has the best moral system. But it seems to me that any set of ethical principles that a group uses to categorize men as good or evil must take into account a man’s ability to fulfill his function as a man.

And so we end where we began, with Donovan’s philosophical distinction between the universal masculine essence and masculine morality. He was and is right. Being a morally good man is not the same as being good at being a man, but being good at being a man must be part of being a morally good man.

Without any coherent sense of what a man is for, it is impossible to have a coherent sense of what a good man is for. Can a man be good in the moral sense if he willingly chooses to be incapable of protecting or providing for his family? Can he truly be moral if he is a coward? It would seem that choosing effeminacy in spite of his nature as a man would bring dishonor to him and his family. Any sense of good moral stature will require a man to be strong, courageous, and honorable.

It is certainly true that being a good man is different from being good at being a man. But being good at being a man must be part of being a good man, otherwise, any kind of moral or ethical judgment will be falling onto an otherwise unintelligible creature.

 

Related

identitymasculinitymoralityphilosophyplatonic form
Share

Essays  / Features

Cameron Dixon
Cameron Dixon is a Catholic Husband, Father, Engineer and author of the Praxis of Man blog.

You might also like

You Don’t Have to Be Very Good at Being a Man to Be a Good Man
June 2, 2022
Elliott Hulse is Making Men Strong Again
March 25, 2022
The Spiritual Origins of Science
March 22, 2022
  • Warrior Poet Society
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR VIP MAILING LIST

  • SUPPORT US ON PATREON

  • chestmagazine

    chestmagazine
    New essay, in which @tannerguzy breaks down the ri New essay, in which @tannerguzy breaks down the rite of passage he just put his son through is now live on the site.
    One of our main objectives here at Chest is to spe One of our main objectives here at Chest is to spend less time and energy lamenting the present and more on building the future. 

The subject for our latest feature - @fendevilliers - typifies this approach. He is not naive to the current state of the world, but he is focused on helping to build a better one. 

Go check out his interview, give him a follow, and appreciate the beauty, strength, and ambition of his art.
    Spirit and Science - one of the many seemingly con Spirit and Science - one of the many seemingly contradictory pairs we see in life that, upon real scrutiny and honest assessment prove to be dependent on each other in their best form. 

Check out the latest piece from @caffeineandphilosophy and learn more about the crucial and historical relationship between the two.
    Now that we’re neck deep in winter, you may be r Now that we’re neck deep in winter, you may be realizing your coat game is lacking - maybe in function, or form, or both. 

We just published an article with two coat recommendations that will not only keep you warm but also make sure you’re looking your best from the most casual to most formal situations - and everything in between.
    I took this photo of John Lovell from @warriorpoet I took this photo of John Lovell from @warriorpoetsociety before interviewing him for @chestmagazine. I wouldn’t have chosen a beach scene for John if I’d had better options — but we were in Cancun and I had to work with what was available. As soon as I edited the photo, I texted it to John with the words “Charlie Don’t Surf.” With the cigar and the palm trees and John’s look — and his Special Operations background — it immediately gave that “Apocalypse Now” vibe. As Bob Ross would say, it was a “happy accident.” ⁣
⁣
Read the interview with John at CHEST and share it wherever you can. John’s a mover and a shaker in the world right now when it comes to advocating masculinity, fighting censorship, and protecting our freedoms. ⁣
⁣
We can complain about who the mainstream media lifts up as exemplars, or we can choose who we want to elevate ourselves — and that is part of CHEST magazine’s mission. We have a Patreon if you want to help us pay the bills and produce more quality content. ⁣— @starttheworld 
⁣
#⁣chestmagazine #menwithchests #johnlovell #warriorpoet #warriorpoetsociety #charliedontsurf #apocalypsenow #portraitphotography #portrait #masculineenergy #masculinity #specialforces #cinematic #cinematicphotography #heroes #idealism #bobross #happyaccident
    New interviews and articles up @chestmagazine toda New interviews and articles up @chestmagazine today with @ryanmichler and @johnlovell_wps . Also an essay on C.S. Lewis’ Abolition of Man from @praxisofman as well as an essay on anger from @zebulonmccain and an article on offsetting central fatigue from @liftrunbang1.0.
    Most therapists are anti-masculinity and probably Most therapists are anti-masculinity and probably even anti-male — and the industry certainly is, as a whole. But we know a few therapists who work to help men. Dr. Shawn T. Smith is a therapist working out of Colorado, and @tannerguzy interviewed him for the latest drop of CHEST magazine. Check out the article titled, “Men Would Rather Do X, Y, and/or Z Than Go To Therapy.” Also check out Dr. Smith’s books, including “The Tactical Guide to Women,” and “The Practical Guide to Men.” 
.
Photo: Adobe Stock, Statue of Freud, Prague.
.
#freud #therapist #therapistformen #psychology #psychologist #masculinity #drshawntsmith #tacticalguidetowomen #menwillliterally
    “A gritty exploration of the struggles of everyd “A gritty exploration of the struggles of everyday Americans and the search for happiness.” @praxisofman reviewed @jockowillink ‘s new novel for CHEST magazine. The book comes out soon and you can pre-order it on Amazon now. Big thanks to @ryanmichler for getting @chestmagazine an advance copy of the book.
.
#finalspin #jockowillink #jocko #chestmagazine #novel #fiction #bookreviews #books #booksformen
    Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Chest MagazineFollow

    Chest Magazine
    Retweet on TwitterChest Magazine Retweeted
    DrSchmoeDr. Schmoe@DrSchmoe·
    13 Jun

    A great article by @ph2t3r at @ChestMagazine He says a lot of things that have been in my head, but I didn't know how to say. https://chestmagazine.com/2022/06/13/beyond-the-man-cave-sex-pollution-and-the-retreat-of-men-from-the-arts/

    Reply on Twitter 1536479784682782720Retweet on Twitter 15364797846827827201Like on Twitter 15364797846827827201Twitter 1536479784682782720
    Retweet on TwitterChest Magazine Retweeted
    tannerguzyTanner Guzy@tannerguzy·
    15 Jun

    Fantastic article from ⁦@ph2t3r⁩ over at ⁦@ChestMagazine⁩ on men as culture creators. https://chestmagazine.com/2022/06/13/beyond-the-man-cave-sex-pollution-and-the-retreat-of-men-from-the-arts/

    Reply on Twitter 1537187730735583232Retweet on Twitter 15371877307355832324Like on Twitter 153718773073558323223Twitter 1537187730735583232
    Retweet on TwitterChest Magazine Retweeted
    praxisofmanCameron Dixon 🪓☠️🪶@praxisofman·
    2 Jun

    @ph2t3r wrote a great response to my latest article for @ChestMagazine.

    Although he and I come to different conclusions, I agree with much of what Jack says and the importance of his nuanced approach.

    He raised some great points. Check it out. https://twitter.com/ph2t3r/status/1532419853625065472

    Jack Donovan@ph2t3r

    My response to @praxisofman ’s essay in @ChestMagazine , which argued that you have to be good at being a man to be a good man.

    https://chestmagazine.com/2022/06/02/you-dont-have-to-be-very-good-at-being-a-man-to-be-a-good-man/

    Reply on Twitter 1532422555235143684Retweet on Twitter 15324225552351436842Like on Twitter 153242255523514368411Twitter 1532422555235143684
    Retweet on TwitterChest Magazine Retweeted
    ph2t3rJack Donovan@ph2t3r·
    2 Jun

    My response to @praxisofman ’s essay in @ChestMagazine , which argued that you have to be good at being a man to be a good man.

    https://chestmagazine.com/2022/06/02/you-dont-have-to-be-very-good-at-being-a-man-to-be-a-good-man/

    Reply on Twitter 1532419853625065472Retweet on Twitter 15324198536250654723Like on Twitter 153241985362506547212Twitter 1532419853625065472
    Retweet on TwitterChest Magazine Retweeted
    ph2t3rJack Donovan@ph2t3r·
    25 May

    In a new essay for @ChestMagazine, @praxisofman wonders if one can truly be a good man without being good at being a man.

    https://chestmagazine.com/2022/05/25/masculinity-morality-the-problem-of-identity/

    Reply on Twitter 1529480405992148992Retweet on Twitter 15294804059921489925Like on Twitter 152948040599214899212Twitter 1529480405992148992
  • Follow CHEST On



  • CHEST MAGAZINE

    ABOUT
    CONTACT

     

  • Sign up for our VIP Mailing List

    Subscribe to get our latest content by email.

      We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
      Built with ConvertKit

    © Copyright Chest Productions LLC