The Metaphysics of Gender

That there are women and men is something that most agree on. That some have a non-binary gender is becoming increasingly recognized. But what it is that makes an individual a woman, a man, or non-binary is less clear. It is taken as something of a truism among feminists that sex is distinct from gender, that “man” and “woman” are gender terms, and that gender is socially constructed. But exactly what it means to say that gender is socially constructed is a matter of significant debate. During this talk we will address these and related issues, briefly discussing several historical and contemporary approaches to the metaphysics of gender and thinking through the implications of each.