Conceptual Analysis - In defense of Monogomy
1. One of the key concepts in George Gilder’s essay “In Defense of Monogamy” is Monogamy. Based on careful reading of the essay, explain Gilder’s apparent understanding of the concept. Using the model case technique, develop an independent understanding of the concept. Finally, compare your findings with Gilder’s use of the concept, and comment on the effects any differences have on the acceptability of his argument. “No way of life has been more glowingly celebrated in recent years than that of the “liberated” single male. Yet the truth is that men without wives in America generally seem to have a far harder time of it than married men – living lives that tend to be not only shorter, but also more destructive, both to themselves and to society. ” The question to ask at this point is why? “Monogamy is central to any democratic social contract, designed to prevent a breakdown of society into war of every man against every other man. ” Throughout Gilder’s paper, he presents many aspects, both cause and effect, that support his credence in monogamy. These issues deal with the brutal nature of humanity stressing the importance of rational in the survival of any civilization. Based on the statistical evidence collected up until the period of 1974, married men were found to be generally healthier individuals than single men and thus, would live longer lives. Furthermore, they earned nearly twice as much as singles of either sex, and were the only ones in the population who were a great success at earning money. Even monogamous black males at that time made more than single white males; which is astonishing considering the level of racism during that period. Gilder feels that man’s chief problem is not monetary, but rather emotional, as he believes that men have more psychological problems than women. He continues to point out that single men tend to be more likely effected by depression, passivity, nervousness and insomnia, and are much more prone to a diminishing physical state. With a society that does not abide by the restrictions of monogamy, the number of single men increases, which according to Gilder, adversely affects the crime rate; he feels that single men are the largest contributors to crime. “Although single men number 13% of the population over age fourteen, they comprise 60% of the criminals and commit about 90% of major and violent crimes. ” However, a large portion of this information comes from statistical evidence that seems to be based on surveys conducted in the Manhattan area. References are also made to America, and thus, it is presumable that these statistics do not include societies external to their establishment; societies that adhere to dissimilar cultural values. Furthermore, the statistical methods employed during this time were still in their infancy. Over the past thirty years, many advances have been made in the technical world, and thus the use and development of mathematics is continually evolving. Improvements have been made over the years in regards to statistical methodology and although Gilder presents many convincing arguments, questionable are his comments based on statistical evidence. However, despite the fact that some of his arguments are questionable, the importance of his ideas are still adequately expressed and thus, “Summing it all up, then, violence and crime join with mental illness, mild neurosis, depression, addiction, venereal disease, institutionalization, poverty, unemployment, and nightmares to comprise the specialized culture of single men in America.