What Is a Man? Introducing the Idea of "Contest"

It takes little work to demonstrate that men are in trouble. The very idea of the "incel" cries out that something is wrong. To help understand this idea of "man" I turn to the writing of Walter Ong.

Demosthenes, the greatest Greek orator, 384-322 BC

71. What Is a Man? Introducing the Idea of "Contest"

If there ever was such a thing as a self-evident truth, the current trouble in which men find themselves in our society today would qualify. Much ink has been spilt trying to figure out what is wrong with men folk these days. Rather than adding yet another piece to that discussion, I thought it would be more helpful to try to understand what a man is, what a woman is, and what makes them different. To facilitate this inquiry, I went back to a book I read once, way back in my undergraduate studies, some 30 years ago now, from a course in philosophical anthropology: Walter Ong’s “Fighting for Life: Contest, Sexuality and Consciousness.” Ong is, unfortunately, a writer who is criminally under read today. His insights would help inform many of the discussions we have in regards to the current state of things. Some of you may be familiar with Ong from his books, “Orality and Literacy” or “The Presence of the Word,” both of which are …