Biological sex: how a binary evolutionary strategy is confused with non-binary sexual traits and gender
- Datum: 16.01.2024
- Uhrzeit: 11:00 - 12:00
- Vortragende(r): Wolfgang Goymann
- MPI for Biological Intelligence
- Ort: MPI BI Seewiesen
- Raum: HYBRID presentation! MPI BI Seewiesen, Haus 4, Seminarraum 4/0.07 und 4/0.08
- Gastgeber: Jayne Lambert and Sabine Spehn
- Kontakt: gleichstellungsbeauftragte@bi.mpg.de

Some philosophers, biomedical scientists, gender theorists and activists promote a relativist view on biological sex. The proponents argue that the concept of two sexes is too simplistic and that sex is a graded spectrum rather than a binary variable. Surprisingly, leading science journals have been adopting this view, thereby rejecting well-established and fundamental biological concepts and opposing essential biological facts. In my talk, I clarify the binary concept of biological sex and separate it from sexual development and sexual traits, as well as behavioural sex roles, all of which can be variable and flexible. I also discuss (1) the differences between biological sex and gender, (2) the naturalistic fallacy that both conservative and progressive activists conduct by using biological sex for their world views, (3) and the species chauvinism that emerges from an anthropocentric view on sex.
https://gwdg.zoom.us/j/84472240120?pwd=WGVXUEoxMlZOUnZjMkpUcE5yVCsvZz09
Meeting-ID: 844 7224 0120, Kenncode: 185545