The ontology of sex, a postfoundational realist reply to constructivist and poststructuralist feminism

grantor: University of TorontoThis dissertation combines themes in twentieth century philosophy with feminist theory and politics. Its primary focus is the recent "deconstruction" of the sex categories, as exemplified in the writings of Judith Butler, on the one hand, and Suzanne Kessler and Wendy McKenna, on the other. This deconstruction is reflected in the philosophical argument that beliefs about the naturalness of biological sex are the effect of cultural preconceptions and norms rather than true knowledge of the world, and the political argument that feminism must now focus its efforts on challenging the principle that biological sex is a material fact. In other words, it has been alleged that since all knowledge of the world is mediated by language and culture, biological sex is impossible to distinguish from the impact of social gender. The dissertation first connects this feminist theory to the nominalist and relativist tradition in philosophy, and contends that this tradition is further linked to the age old philosophical quest for absolute foundations. Demonstrating that such foundations cannot be secured, nominalism and relativism--and the feminism they underpin--conclude that objectivity is impossible. The dissertation argues that there are alternative responses to foundationalism, however. Philosophies contending that objective, albeit less than logically certain, knowledge is attainable are advocated. Theodor Adorno's materialism, contemporary realism, biology, and phenomenology are used to develop a notion of tentative, approximate truth. Using the framework provided by these philosophies, the dissertation then argues the following in response to poststructuralist and constructivist feminism: (1) There are natural sex categories with permeable, but nonetheless real, boundaries between them; (2) The perceivable form of the sexed body both presupposes and grounds--in a non-teleological, non-deterministic, fashion--some of the communication between and behaviours connecting sexed beings; and, (3) Language referring to sex has the potential to tell us something true about our world, not just something conditioned by our culture. The overarching thesis linking these arguments is that it is philosophically correct and politically advisable to maintain a distinction, albeit attenuated, between sex and gender.Ph.D