Sex used to rule. Now gender identity is on the throne. Sex survives as a cheap imitation of its former self: assigned at birth, on a spectrum, socially constructed, and definitely not binary. Apparently quite a few of us fall outside the categories ‘male’ and ‘female’. But gender identity is said to be universal – we all have one. Humanity used to be cleaved into two sexes, whereas now the crucial division depends on whether our gender identity aligns with our body. If it does, we are cisgender; if it does not, we are transgender. The dethroning of sex has meant the threat of execution for formerly noble words such as ‘woman’ and ‘man’.
In this provocative, bold, and humane book, the philosopher Alex Byrne pushes back against the new gender revolution. Drawing on evidence from biology, psychology, anthropology and sexology, Byrne exposes the flaws in the revolutionary manifesto. The book applies the tools of philosophy, accessibly and with flair, to gender, sex, transsexuality, patriarchy, our many identities, and our true or authentic selves.
The topics of Trouble with Gender are relevant to us all. This is a book for anyone who has wondered ‘Is sex binary?’, ‘Why are men and women different?’, ‘What is a woman?’ or, simply, ‘Where can I go to know more about these controversies?’
Revolutions devour their own children, and the gender revolution is no exception. Trouble with Gender joins the forefront of the counter-revolution, restoring sex to its rightful place, at the centre of what it means to be human.
By:
Alex Byrne
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 231mm,
Width: 160mm,
Spine: 33mm
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9781509560011
ISBN 10: 1509560017
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 27 October 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Gender, Double Toil and Trouble Chapter 2: ‘Gender’ Trouble Chapter 3: Clownfish and Chromosomes Chapter 4: I am Woman Chapter 5: The Rise of Gender Identity Chapter 6: Born in the Wrong Body Chapter 7: Is Biology Destiny? Chapter 8: True Selves and Identity Crises Coda Acknowledgements Bibliography Notes Index
Alex Byrne is Professor of Philosophy at MIT.
Reviews for Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions
"""A refreshingly clarifying and forthright take on the philosophy of gender activism, cutting through the noise with incisiveness and wit. Anyone interested in the gender wars needs to read it."" Kathleen Stock, author of Material Girls Alex Byrne's Trouble with Gender is an admirably clear and rigorous book that outlines the major parameters of what is often an off-kilter discussion. Combining philosophy and science with an eye for how issues of sex and gender are discussed in the media, Byrne gives the reader a lesson not only in how to think about these specific issues, but also in how to think at all. Nina Power, author of One Dimensional Woman and What Do Men Want? ""Alex Byrne's Trouble with Gender is an admirably clear and rigorous book that outlines the major parameters of what is often an off-kilter discussion. Combining philosophy and science with an eye for how issues of sex and gender are discussed in the media, Byrne gives the reader a lesson not only in how to think about these specific issues, but also in how to think at all."" Nina Power, author of One Dimensional Woman and What Do Men Want? ""Current academic discussions of sex and gender are dominated by advocates, dogmatists, poseurs, and obscurantists. Trouble with Gender offers a lucid, rigorous and judicious guide to the perplexed. It’s an antidote to irrationality and also a pleasure to read."" Christina Hoff Sommers, author of Who Stole Feminism? "
