Although I doubt humor was his intent, I certainly smiled when I read Aristotle's characterization of the young man. Part of what amused me was Aristotle's reproving tone. For instance, he likens the impulses of young men to "sick people's attacks of hunger" and defines youthful wit as "well-bred insolence"(bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2).
I was also delighted by the collage of modern figures who, I imagine, would characterize the young men in much the same way. When Aristotle describes young men as headstrong and obstinate, I am reminded of a parental figure. "They think they know everything," he asserts, sounding suspiciously like my mother, "and are always quite sure about it" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). I also can't help but suspect that many driving instructors would agree that youthful "mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). I've heard of many students who were dangerously over-confident, seeming as though they believed themselves to be invincible. This could be, perhaps, what Aristotle is referring to when he says youth "have exalted notions, because they have not yet been humbled by life or learnt its limitations" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). This brought to my attention that these characterizations are not only useful when appealing to young men, but also when appealing to others about young men.
While most people surely agree that individual differences prevent us from making generalizations about any group that will apply to each member, many of the characterizations made by Aristotle are still used in appeals to young men today. I imagine those in the advertising industry nodding emphatically at Aristotle's contention that young men are compelled by their bodily desires, and that "it is the sexual by which they are most swayed and in which they show an absence of self-control" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). Advertisers' use of sex to sway men towards a product is so common as to be almost indiscriminate, extending even to the least sexy items on the market. For example, the following images promote a geriatric facility, a fast food chain, a computer, and a Christian church, respectively.
Likewise, military recruiters prey on the notion that young men love honor and victory, and are courageous by virtue of their "hot tempers and hopeful dispositions" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). That young men's "lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning" may be especially salient during wartime recruitment (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). Many of these beliefs about young men have fueled the propaganda campaigns of both world wars:
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| "Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). |
| "Youth is eager for superiority over others, and victory is one form of this" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). |
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| "Owing to their love of honour they can not bear being slighted" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). |
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| "While they love honour, they love victory still more" (bk. 2, ch. 12, par. 2). (Victory or Bolshevism) |
Though no generalization can be made that accurately describes a group so broad and varying as young men, some assumptions may be necessary in the interest of appropriately appealing to an audience. It is unlikely that an appeal using sexually suggestive images or promises of victory will be universally and uniformly effective; what appeals to one may, in fact, offend the other. Aristotle realized this, and appreciate what could be accomplished when an orator tailored his address to his audience.
Aristotle. Rhetoric. Comp. Steve Thomas. Trans. W. Rhys Roberts. The University
of Adelaide. eBooks@Adelaide, 2007. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
<http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/a/aristotle/a8rh/>.
Works Cited
of Adelaide. eBooks@Adelaide, 2007. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
<http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/a/aristotle/a8rh/>.
Advertisers are great at identifying just what moves us to action. I love how you've brought that into the discussion and the images you selected are really great examples-- particularly the Lynx body wash advert. The fact that she is merely a body with no face makes the image even more thought provoking. It replaces intimacy and familiarity with anonymity, playing purely upon carnal desire.
ReplyDeleteThanks Suzi! That's a really good analysis of that photo!
ReplyDeleteLooking through this week’s blog posts and comments, it seems the class is fairly divided over whether Aristotle’s observations are relevant in modern times. In the case of Aristotle’s description of young men as “most-swayed” by sexual desires, and showing an absence of self control, it seems to have carried over well to our society (which you demonstrate well!). There are other areas, such as his descriptions of power and wealth, where his generalizations don’t seem to have survived the millennia (at least for some students). I would offer this as an explanation of why he has mixed results: Some of his observations are specific to the culture, while others are “timeless”. Those which are specific to his culture (perhaps an example might be the effects of power and wealth) seem to have less bearing on a modern audience, whereas those which are an inherent part of being human (such as young men’s hormonally-charged susceptibility to their carnal desires) will probably never change.
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to see how you showed real life examples of Aristotle’s claims on young men. Looking at the advertisements made me think about a possible connection between why young men from Aristotle’s time still have similar characteristics to the men of today. I think that evolution explains this association. In the past, young men would battle not only to show women that they were physically fit, which would be a indicator of good genetics, but the honor and glory that came from winning battles also brought more potential mates. Our ancestral women would think that men who were prestigious would have more resources to give them and their offspring. With the issue of young men always craving bodily desires, an explanation for this would be that men have never had carry the cost of reproduction. The investment men make in mating is significantly less than what women have to make. Because mating is not costly for them, young men are able to have more partners, while women have to be more cautious of whom they choose. To me, it was amazing to see how a lot of characteristics Aristotle was writing about were from an adaptive evolutionary point.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that perhaps older men today are also swayed by many of the same things that young men are? Aristotle makes a point of characterizing old men in contrast with young men, for example by stating that they "do not feel their passions much, and their actions are inspired less by what they do feel than by the love of gain" (Aristotle 86). However, I imagine that ad for the geriatric facility would appeal as much to older men as it would to younger men, probably more so since they're the ones who are presumably going to be staying there. And then there's the idea of the mid-life crisis for men. It seems to me that a lot of the core motivations for men are universal across age groups, which is not to say that those groups aren't susceptible to different appeals.
ReplyDelete