This spring, join Nancy Pearcey, a Fellow of Discovery Institute and a professor at Houston Christian University, in a course based on her most controversial book yet, The Toxic War on Masculinity. Why does the secular world get its view of masculinity so wrong? Pearcey gives fact-based answers, tracing definitions of manhood down through American history. Register now and save: $280 early bird, $300 after the semester begins.
A major influence was the rise of Darwinian evolution. We tend to think of Darwinism as a scientific theory, but it had a huge impact on views of masculinity. Social Darwinists said that in the struggle for survival, the men who came out on top were ruthless, brutal, savage, barbarian, and sexually predatory.
In an earlier age, Christianity had urged men to live up to the image of God in them. But Social Darwinists urged men to live down to what they called the “the beast within.”
Today Social Darwinism has reappeared under a new label — evolutionary psychology — but it still sends the same message. A bestselling book called The Moral Animal says, “Human males are by nature oppressive, possessive, flesh-obsessed pigs. Giving them advice on successful marriage is like offering Vikings a free booklet titled ‘How Not to Pillage.’”
Are you seeing the origin of the Andrew Tate phenomenon? Intellectuals have been creating the secular script for masculinity for a long time.
Learn more by auditing the course “Is Masculinity Toxic? Men, Marriage, and Family.” It is a new experimental course open to auditors only. You can audit the course from anywhere in the world.
Sign up here: HTS GO DEEPER | Houston Christian University.
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