I’m at a philosophy colloquium talk called “Farewell to the Sex/Gender Distinction.” I was prepared for the far-left argument that’s supposed to be trans-liberatory (i.e., the idea that allows you to say “the penis is a female organ,” which I think just confuses things and doesn’t really help). But instead it’s an older cis man approaching it from the perspective of old-fashioned analytic “natural language” concept analysis. I am very worried.
A picture of a TERF sign was just offered as evidence that we shouldn’t merely assert “trans women are women” as an assumption… but then a poll showing that a majority of trans women consider trans women to be female was also raised as a consideration, so I’m just kind of confused right now.
I think my problem with this talk is that this guy is approaching it as if he’s some sort of impartial arbiter of truth and practical/political goals should not be taken into account.
Older cis het white man, perhaps?
Definitely white, probably het. I don’t know that his whiteness is relevant except to his sense that his views are authoritative and come from no particular standpoint – that he inhabits the so-called “view from nowhere.”
Loki is the Philosopher King 