In this risk-taking book, a major feminist philosopher engages the work of an actor and director who has progressed from being the stereotypical man's man to pushing the boundaries of the very genres-the Western, the police thriller, the war, and boxing movie--most associated with American masculinity. Cornell's highly appreciative encounter with the films directed by Clint Eastwood revolve around the questions What is it to be a good man? What is it to be, not just an ethical person, but specifically an ethical man? Focusing on him as a director rather than an actor or cultural icon, she studies Eastwood in relation to major philosophical ethical themes that have been articulated in her own life's work.