Is chivalry dead?

Opening doors, offering chairs, paying for dinner, taking off the hat - these are the usual concepts of chivalry, stemming from the days of knighthood when the great gentlemen were expected to follow a specific chivalric code. Knights were trained to fearless fighters, full of honour and gallantry, aggressive on the battle field, that was then tempered by a particular chivalric code that centred around respect. The Song of Roland was one example, outlining how one should behave. Much of the chivalric code and expected duties stem from Faith in the church, with honourable characteristics including honesty and prudence.

The chivalric code extended to matters of the heart - and love in the medieval courts. Damsels were aplenty in the King's court and a knight courting his beloved had certain ideas and notions on that love. The Rules of Love in the court are outlined by Andreas Capellanus in his work, De Amore:

• Marriage is no excuse for not loving.
• An easy attainment makes love contemptible; a difficult one makes it more dear.
• It is not proper to love one whom one would be ashamed to marry.
• True jealousy always increases the effects of love.

Of course, when we talk about chivalry, we don't really mean the knights of the courts - we're talking more about men honouring women, being courteous and considerate to the "finer sex". So when we ask if chivalry is dead, we're really considering this fundamental question: do men today respect and honour women?

And I guess, there's no real answer - there are certainly plenty of women that I respect, Angela Merkel for one, while there are plenty of women that I don't really have a lot of respect for - say Lindsay Lohan with her ankle bracelet - not that I'm really judging her or anything. There are plenty of respectable men - like Obama - and absolutely abhorrent ones (I'll let you come up with a few on your own).

So back to the question - is chivalry dead? In the age of Carrie Bradshaw, have sex like a man and Lindsay Lohan's party girl independence - do men respect women less than they did in the past?

Call me an optimistic - but I don't think so. I think men are confused about the appropriate actions to demonstrate their honour and respect - do I hold open the door or am I infringing on her independence? It's a minefield to walk through - depending on the girl and the situation. But deep down underneath - the modern man still respects the modern woman.

After all, if they didn't - they'd be hearing from their mothers.

Do you think chivalry is dead? Do women want men to be chivalrous? Are certain girls worth it?