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Feminism, mind-independence, and the sex/gender distinction : a critique of Judith Butler’s definitions of gender Erikson, Marie

Abstract

Judith Butler proposes a conception of gender that includes sex in both Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender, though this inclusion is more strongly stated in the latter work. Despite what their analyses claim, sex is a mind-independent phenomenon that is not part of socially constructed gender. Sex’s independence from gender is maintained when sex is understood with either of two prominent definitions which I will highlight. Not only is maintaining the distinction between sex and gender more accurate, but it is also necessary for feminism. In this essay, I will argue that Butler’s conceptions of gender in Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender are inaccurate and anti-feminist.

Item Metadata

Title
Feminism, mind-independence, and the sex/gender distinction : a critique of Judith Butler’s definitions of gender
Alternate Title
A critique of Judith Butler’s definitions of gender
Creator
Erikson, Marie
Date Issued
2025-09
Description
Judith Butler proposes a conception of gender that includes sex in both Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender, though this inclusion is more strongly stated in the latter work. Despite what their analyses claim, sex is a mind-independent phenomenon that is not part of socially constructed gender. Sex’s independence from gender is maintained when sex is understood with either of two prominent definitions which I will highlight. Not only is maintaining the distinction between sex and gender more accurate, but it is also necessary for feminism. In this essay, I will argue that Butler’s conceptions of gender in Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender are inaccurate and anti-feminist.
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2025-11-12
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
DOI
10.14288/1.0450732
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/92897
Affiliation
Arts, Faculty of; Philosophy, Department of
Citation
Erikson, M. (2025). Feminism, Mind-Independence, and the Sex/Gender Distinction: A Critique of Judith Butler’s Definitions of Gender. UBC Journal of Philosophical Enquiries, 5, 6–16.
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Undergraduate
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International