Gilder greatly exaggerates the virtue and, therefore, the dynamic of women in making a good society based on marriage and family. He seems to have little to no interest in the other side of the story, namely, that the way of women, while truly embodying beauty and inspiration at her best, also includes the primal urge to dominate on the one hand, and destroy on the other, a society.
Let us grant that men have a greater responsibility than women for the way society goes, whether good or ill; but let us not delude ourselves into thinking women therefore have *no* responsibility for the same, particularly when society is going off the rails. Let us welcome our sisters as sinners like we men, as "companions in shipwreck" as Tolkien put it; and also therefore candidates for forgiveness and redemption so sorely needed.
All human beings are fallen. But dominance proper only exists between males. What you describe here is pride and the refusal to submit. But even then blaming women is emasculating. Weak men running from responsibility don't deserve submission. This topic is covered more by Dench in Part II, coming shortly.
Looking forward to reading more on this when you post it. I am mainly going off my own reading of Gilder's Men and Marriage from a few years ago, which was disappointing in ways I describe above. I see it as an issue of truth-telling proper, regardless of considerations of blame.
Thanks Will! Your work is fantastically original and a pleasant antidote to the culture’s excessive, omnipresent promulgation of sexual permissiveness.
(P.S. I also enjoy the work of the Jolly Heretic and think you’d collaborate well. I’d enjoy listening to him as guest on your podcast, or vice versa.)
I partially agree but the final paragraph erks me. Do we not honour the teachings of the holy men and desert fathers who dedicated their lives to God in the desert away from society and especially women?
Gilder greatly exaggerates the virtue and, therefore, the dynamic of women in making a good society based on marriage and family. He seems to have little to no interest in the other side of the story, namely, that the way of women, while truly embodying beauty and inspiration at her best, also includes the primal urge to dominate on the one hand, and destroy on the other, a society.
Let us grant that men have a greater responsibility than women for the way society goes, whether good or ill; but let us not delude ourselves into thinking women therefore have *no* responsibility for the same, particularly when society is going off the rails. Let us welcome our sisters as sinners like we men, as "companions in shipwreck" as Tolkien put it; and also therefore candidates for forgiveness and redemption so sorely needed.
All human beings are fallen. But dominance proper only exists between males. What you describe here is pride and the refusal to submit. But even then blaming women is emasculating. Weak men running from responsibility don't deserve submission. This topic is covered more by Dench in Part II, coming shortly.
Looking forward to reading more on this when you post it. I am mainly going off my own reading of Gilder's Men and Marriage from a few years ago, which was disappointing in ways I describe above. I see it as an issue of truth-telling proper, regardless of considerations of blame.
Great article to share with those still caught up in our hedonistic culture.
Thanks Will! Your work is fantastically original and a pleasant antidote to the culture’s excessive, omnipresent promulgation of sexual permissiveness.
(P.S. I also enjoy the work of the Jolly Heretic and think you’d collaborate well. I’d enjoy listening to him as guest on your podcast, or vice versa.)
I partially agree but the final paragraph erks me. Do we not honour the teachings of the holy men and desert fathers who dedicated their lives to God in the desert away from society and especially women?
'Most achievement', not all. Celibacy is necessarily only ever for the few.
Fair enough, the general message is most definitely correct and self evident
The tale of Beauty and the Beast is much a Princess and Barbarian tale