The article discusses the distinction between sex and gender, emphasizing that confusion arises when terms are conflated. A college student's statement about the existence of two genders illustrates this misunderstanding, which resonates with a broader societal debate about gender identity. The author reflects on personal philosophical insights regarding the importance of clear terminology in discussions. The transgender movement represents an expansion of gender expression beyond biological sex, demonstrating the need for a nuanced understanding of these concepts to foster constructive dialogue.
This is what a philosopher might call a confused question. Philosophy of language was one of the hardest courses I took in graduate school, and I didn't do well in it.
In my student's declaration that it's a 'fact' that only two genders exist, the confusion hinges on a conflation of and I thank an acquaintance of mine, a retired county judge in my state, who years ago corrected my sloppy conflation of these two terms.
What the transgender movement has made clear is that while someone is born female, they might feel male, feel that they were born in the wrong body.
For example, two people could argue all day long about whether or not God exists and not even realize they're arguing past each other.
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