The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog
Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth summarize thoughts about our recent series on social construction, gender and sex, and Judith Butler’s notion of “grievable lives.” Should we stop covering so much contemporary work and/or political topics?
End song: “The Size of Luv” by Mark Lint from Mark Lint’s Dry Folk (2018).
Sponsor: Get your first month of hair loss prevention medication free at keeps.com/pel.
Get this and every episode ad-free with a PEL Membership. Please support the podcast!
Mark, Wes, Dylan, and Seth summarize thoughts about our recent series on social construction, gender and sex, and Judith Butler’s notion of “grievable lives.” Should we stop covering so much contemporary work and/or political topics?
End song: “The Size of Luv” by Mark Lint from Mark Lint’s Dry Folk (2018).
Concluding “Gender Trouble” (1990), with just Mark, Wes, and Seth going carefully through pt I, sec v: “Identity, Set, and the Metaphysics of Substance,” and pt III, sec iv: “Subversive Bodily Acts: Bodily Inscriptions, Performative Subversions.”
Start with part one or get the unbroken, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!
End song: “I’m a Boy” by Lys Guillorn as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music #44.
Please support the fight against leukemia at partiallyexaminedlife.com/cancer.
More Gender Trouble (1990) with Jennifer Hansen. We get into the metaphysics of substance (is gender an attribute that a person has, or is there a better way to describe the situation?), performatives, Beauvoir vs. Irigaray on femininity, and the available mechanisms for changing gender norms.
Start with Part One or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition now so that you don’t have to wait for Part Three. Please support PEL!
Sponsor: Visit feals.com/PEL for premium CBD; become a member and get 50% off and free shipping.
On Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990). Is gender socially constructed, and if so, how?
Butler describes gender not as an essential quality of a person, but as “performed,” as habits of acting in certain ways in accordance with customs. Her idea of social construction is so totalizing that even biological sex itself is constructed. With guest Jennifer Hansen.
End song: “I’m a Boy” by Lys Guillorn as interviewed for Nakedly Examined Music #44.
On Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990). Is gender socially constructed, and if so, how?
Butler describes gender not as an essential quality of a person, but as “performed,” as habits of acting in certain ways in accordance with customs. Her idea of social construction is so totalizing that even biological sex itself is constructed. With guest Jennifer Hansen.
This is part 1 of 3, but you don’t need to wait. Get the full Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!
On Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949): the intro, conclusion, “Woman’s Situation and Character” and parts of “Lived Experience,” with guest Jennifer Hansen.
According to Beauvoir, Woman is historically conceived of by society (and herself) as “Other,” as not a Subject who creates and makes decisions. Her life is predetermined, revolving around marriage and child-bearing, and is so deformed by this situation.
End song: “Wrong Side of Gone” by Beth Kille as discussed on Nakedly Examined Music #13.
Continuing on Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections” (1994), Charles Mills’s “But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race” (1998), and Neven Sesardic’s “Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept” (2010) with guest Coleman Hughes.
Racial classifications vary geographically, therefore race is socially constructed. Given this, can we retain the positive aspects of group identification without hierarchies and what Appiah calls “imperialism of identity”?
Start with part one or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!
End song: “Tired Skin” by Alejandro Escovedo, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #60.
Sponsors: Get 3 months of unlimited learning for $30 at thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL. Don’t get left behind the now: subscribe to Pretty Much Pop.
On Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections” (1994), Charles Mills’s “But What Are You Really?, The Metaphysics of Race” (1998), and Neven Sesardic’s “Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept” (2010). With guest Coleman Hughes.
End song: “Tired Skin” by Alejandro Escovedo, as interviewed on Nakedly Examined Music #60.
Continuing Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger’s “Religion and World Construction” (1967).
We break down Hacking’s typology of construction arguments: Are they exploring where our ideas came from or trying to change things? Are they trying to state facts about nature vs. nurture or essentially political solicitations for us to reconceptualize in healthier ways? Plus, more about the supposed divide between science wars and the culture wars and Berger’s picture of the nomos (custom) defining what it is for us to live a meaningful life.
Start with part one, or get the full, ad free Citizen Edition. Please support PEL!
End song: “The ConstruKction of Light, Part 1” by King Crimson; listen to Mark with Trey Gunn on Nakedly Examined Music #21.
Sponsors: Visit thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL for a free month of learning and hempfusion.com w/ promo code PEL for 20% off your first order & free shipping.
On Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger’s “Religion and World Construction” (1967).
Guest Coleman Hughes from Dilemma joins us to survey the types of social construction arguments: the “culture wars” (e.g., race, gender) and the “science wars” (scientific findings are not read off the world but emerge from history). Something can be constructed, yet still be an objective truth we have to deal with.
Don’t wait for part two; get the full, ad free Citizen Edition now. Please support PEL!
Sponsor: HempFusion.com, code PEL for 20% off/free shipping.
On Ian Hacking’s The Social Construction of What (1999) and Peter Berger’s “Religion and World Construction” (1967).
Guest Coleman Hughes from Dilemma joins us to survey the types of social construction arguments: the “culture wars” (e.g., race, gender) and the “science wars” (scientific findings are not read off the world but emerge from history). Something can be constructed, yet still be an objective truth we have to deal with.
End song: “The ConstruKction of Light, Part 1” by King Crimson; listen to Mark with Trey Gunn on Nakedly Examined Music #21.
