What does it mean to be a man?

That I have a penis, and women do not.

Beyond that, there is no answer to this question.

Physically, genetically, biologically, we are different from women.

Beyond that, nothing else matters, because we are all completely different, with different thoughts, different abilities, different desires, etc... not one of these, however, defining us as "men," or being "what makes a man, to us."

The only thing that makes us men, that defines us as men, would be the physical differences inherent in all males.

Since when was philosophy purely introspection?

This will probably change as I get older but my generalizing separation is a man will respond to situations logically and not emotionally.


I meant that as man versus boy BTW. It also applies to woman versus girl.

I think your Man Vs Boy rather than Man Vs Woman point is an excellent one, and really helps.

If your point about responding rationally rather than emotionally is correct, then I know lots of very big boys and girls.

On philosophy - female philosophers have been very rare until recently and are still only a small minority - probably less than 25% of tenured academics, at a guess based on personal experience.

Perhaps the earlist female philosopher (in the modern sense) was Harriet Taylor, colleage and later wife of John Stuart Mill. In the 20th century, De Beauvoir and Hillary Putnam were among the earliest to be significant, and even now it is hard to think of "prominent" female philosophers. I can name several who are a little better-known than average - Cynthia Macdonald and Rae Langton - but even for this I am straining.

My observations of this topic are both for professional and personal :doit: reasons. And no, there isn't much :doit: going on in philosophy departments.

Oh and while some philosophy is introspective - Hume, Kant, much modern European philosophy - quite a lot is dialectical - sit around a table and argue. Perhaps a kind of collective introspection. Facts and empirical research do occasionally make an appearance, but are not always required.

Welcome to the Cellar, Emma. :D We love comedians.

A*n R*nd

Hey just because you don't believe doesn't mean she wasn't prominent

I, along with probably everyone else here, does as well. Personally, I felt that one of the biggest change for me in the past few years is that I am starting to act in a more rational "what is the best response to this situation" from my previously impulsive reaction. I fully admit I still act emotionally and I'm sure everyone will to a point but this is more of a generalization then a clear cut rule.

So I wrote a list of required best friend virtues and required man virtues and this was the only one that wasn't on both:

Must have a willy.

"Required" by you? What the hell does what you require, have to do with what we require, how we define, ourselves?

Women will never be equal to men..
until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

Good point, I wasn't thinking of her as a philosopher though. In a broad reading of the term I guess she has to count. [/begrudgingly].

Pssst... post #24.

Psst.... hush now, don't highlight my stupidity.