Are Males Instinctively Anti-Libertarian?by
Bill Barnwell
From a very early age, males are instinctively aggressive. While many little girls like to play with dolls, little boys are fascinated by toy guns and imaginary war games. From a young age, boys and teenagers are obsessed with fighting as a means of resolving differences or just plain harassing other people. As they grow into adults, many men keep their violent streaks. While these are generalizations, it is hard to deny that men are aggressive by nature and usually much more aggressive than females. This leads to the question: Is the nature of the male itself a hindrance to the promotion of libertarian ideals, particularly the principle of non-aggression? Unfortunately, usually it is, because we have bought into the notion that males must act on their aggressive impulses. Being masculine and strong-willed is not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with being driven, physically strong, motivated, hard-working, and a go-getter. There is a problem when aggression becomes destructive behavior towards other people’s bodies and property. All too often, many males display an utter disregard for both other people’s property and physical natures all the way from childhood throughout their entire lives. While some people, even many libertarians, smile at childhood bullying as "boys just being boys" they don’t realize or just don’t care that such behavior is sowing the seeds for more and worse aggression down the road. In many high schools, a guy can face a pounding from other guys just for "looking" at them the wrong way. Whether you are an adult driving your car, walking down the street, sitting in a bar, or a high school kid going from one class to another, you face a potential fight if you "look" at another guy the wrong way. Take a look at prisons. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in both jails and prisons, there are 123 female inmates per 100,000 women in the United States, compared to 1,348 male inmates per 100,000 men. This makes men over 10 times as likely as women to be convicted for crimes. When you look at violent crimes that directly violate the principle of non-aggression, such as rapes and murders, who are committing most of these? Men, obviously. When you look at crimes against other people’s property such as theft, who is committing most of these crimes? Men. When you look at the political structure, which gender dominates government and hence makes most the decisions about legalized theft through legislation and legalized destruction through war? Men. Many men, it seems, have an instinctual problem with violence and force. In fact, from a young age we teach boys to glorify force and violence. We load them up with war toys and teach them that to be "manly" they have to physically intimidate and hurt other people. Note that there’s a big difference between unprovoked aggression and defending one’s life and property. Nobody is promoting cowardice here. Kids and adults should be taught to defend themselves and to stand up for honor. That does not mean, however, being a bully, assaulting people for looking at you the wrong way, fighting like animals to resolve the slightest of differences, shooting, stealing, and a host of other vices that rob other people of individual liberty. At first glance, one might think this is a condemnation of masculinity and a call to begin feminizing little boys at a young age and a call for society to socialize men into something more akin to women. It’s not. Both masculinity and femininity are wonderful things. But why does masculinity often have to be equated to unprovoked aggression and force? This is simply a bad definition and encourages unjust conditions from grade school on up. A male can still be masculine without being an aggressive brute that forcefully intimidates others. A male can still be physically (and mentally) strong without having to prove it by throwing his weight around. A male can still be ambitious, motivated and driven without stepping on other people’s personal and property rights. Men can still be secure, confident, and strong without being coercive. The fact that men are usually physically stronger and are more aggressive than women is hardly brain surgery. This has long been an accepted fact of humanity. Again, there’s nothing wrong with boys or men being hyper, strong, or even a bit rowdy. The problem is that many males misuse their natural strength and driven natures to violate the rights of other people. "Boys will be boys" is often an excuse given to bad male behavior. Even though some men might be "wired" to be unduly aggressive does not mean that they must act on those impulses. From a Christian standpoint, all of humanity has the sin nature in common (Romans 3:23), but "saved" human beings through the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, also have the ability to resist sin (I Jn. 1:8–9; 3:4–6). Therefore, while all people are born into sin, there’s no excuse for when they do sin and it can be resisted. Even from a non-spiritual standpoint, it’s accepted that some people might be born more prone to alcohol or drug abuse. Others are born more prone to mild depression or other mental problems that may lead to harmful behavior. Still others are raised in environments which make them more prone to harmful behavior. But does this excuse bad behavior? Many on the left and some on the right would like to argue that it does. On the contrary, responsible people do not excuse violent or uncivil behavior because some have inherited or are more inclined to these conditions. Too many men, however, blame their moronic and sometimes animalistic behavior on the fact that they are men, and we should just accept that they will be coercive. Well, no, actually we shouldn’t. If you are violent, rob other people of property, or use other coercive means against people, it should stop and no excuses should be made. I’m not about making men look and act more like women. We have enough of that being promoted and that is not the answer either. The solution is not making men sissies or at the other end of the spectrum excusing and smiling upon Neanderthal behavior. Men can retain their masculine identity without caving into coercion, even if some are programmed by nature or circumstances to act on their aggressive impulses. There are no excuses for unjust or coercive behavior. Are men born with instinctively anti-libertarian impulses? For many, probably yes. But part of libertarian thought (and much of Wesleyan Christian thought) also includes personal responsibility and personal choice. We have a choice to act like civilized human beings or animals. To say otherwise is to make silly excuses for bad conduct. The moment we do start making excuses for half of the population (or anyone for that matter) to act like animals, the libertarian vision crumbles.
Bill Barnwell [send him mail] is a pastor in Flushing, Michigan. He spent most of his undergraduate college career studying politics and government before feeling called to the ministry. He has completed a Master of Ministries degree and is currently working towards a Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree at Bethel College in Mishawka, Indiana. Copyright © 2005 LewRockwell.com |
September
13, 2005