Dear reader,

 

When I started this project and all the way up until the end, I knew what I was talking about: Men. But, it wasn’t until completing my first essay drafts that I actually understood what I was talking about. I’m not saying I understand men (If I did then I would perhaps write a 101 Guide to Men. But, that is not this project). I’m saying that I understood the purpose of why I was talking about men. 

 

I began this project by investigating canonical works of political theory. I returned to Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and others which I had studied throughout the four years of my undergraduate degree.

 

During the research stage of this project, I found Terrel Carver’s “Men in Western Political Thought” (2004), which was an investigation into how men present men in the political theory canon. I read the entire book on a weekend during Spring Break. I was drawn to this piece because it was exactly what I aimed to do. I thought that I would add my voice to the conversation of political theory which pertains to critiquing the canon through a gendered lens. However, my original project was much too large to be completed in a single semester, so I decided to write personal essays about my experiences with masculinity and gender.

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These personal essays do not have to be read in order, though it makes the most sense if you prefer chronological order. That said, many of these experiences are just stories. As such, they can be taken and left as they are. Though, it must be acknolweged that within the context of the whole, these essays make more sense to be read from the beginning (Etymology) to the end (Of Property).

 

It is my hope that these essays perhaps challenge your perception of masculinity and gender. Through my stories and my experiences, I also hope that these essays will allow you to relate in some way to the themes which I invoke. I wish you the best on your journey reading. 

 

Yours truly,

Blake D. Byle