The author argues that research into men and masculinities has failed to seriously engage with some central insights of queer theory. In particular, an interrogation of how the institution of heterosexuality underlies modern constructs of masculinity has been largely untouched. Although queer theory owes much to postwar French philosophy, the author draws here on its earlier German heritage, especially Heidegger's understanding of “technology,” to consider the historical production of the idea of a “male sex” and problematize its position as a secure foundation for theorizing about “masculinity.” The eighteenth century was a key period for the emergence of the modern gender regime, and the author suggests that changes during this period, particularly in terms of secularization and men's relationship to their mortality, were central in constructing a conception of masculinity that relies on heterosexuality. Finally, the author argues, against some recent commentators, that the historical reality of masculinity must be recognized and foregrounded in attempts to overcome gendered inequalities.
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