PHIL 2170 Lecture Notes - Sexual Dimorphism, Herma
2 Apr 2014
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Document Summary
We are on the west of this. Take home message: the science of sexual difference isn"t simply a case of describing nature in a neutral way. Normative claims; address what should (or shouldn"t) be the case. (e. g. killing is wrong) Descriptive claims; what this case actually is. (e. g. turners syndrome is uncommon) Vs. turners syndrome is abnormal (does this mean it is a bad thing or that it is uncommon, is this a descriptive claim or normative claim. ) It isn"t always clear which claim is being used. Though most sex organisms are both or neither or a third sex, depending how you think about it, and that"s not including intersexed conditions. 1970s- some diff between men and women are social (gender-social behaviors- masculine/feminine) while others are biological (sex-anatomical and physiological features- male/female) 1990s- social behaviors become inscribed on the body. So you can"t easily separate sex and genders.
