logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
51m 37s

Ep. 235: Judith Butler's "Gender Trouble...

Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey
About this episode

On Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990). Is gender socially constructed, and if so, how?

Butler describes gender not as an essential quality of a person, but as "performed," as habits of acting in certain ways in accordance with customs. Her idea of social construction is so totalizing that even biological sex itself is constructed. With guest Jennifer Hansen.

Please support PEL!

Up next
Oct 26
Ep. 403: Are LLMs Actually Intelligent? (Part One)
On Raphaël Millière and Cameron Buckner's "A Philosophical Introduction to Language Models, Part I: Continuity With Classic Debates" (2023). Is the Large Language Model type of architecture currently in use by AIs a legitimate basis for intelligence? M&B explain the technology an ... Show More
49m 19s
Oct 24
PEL Presents PMP#233: Not-Scary Carrie
We discuss the new Mike Flanagan series adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel in comparison to the 1976 Brian De Palma film and the other adaptations (the 2013 film, the 2002 TV movie, and 1998's The Rage: Carrie 2). Featuring Mark, Lawrence, Al, and spanked-in-school Sarahlyn. ... Show More
54m 31s
Oct 23
PEL Presents PvI#126: Waiting for Cluckman w/ Anthony LeBlanc
Mark, Mary, and Jenny are joined by improviser Anthony to restore us to a 2 X 2 Team Play balance, again reading part of Martha Nussbaum's The Therapy of Desire as a way of exploring ancient traditions by which one might use philosophy for self-improvement. We act out and/or disc ... Show More
50m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Judith Butler: Gender and identity
Stephen Sackur speaks to philosopher Judith Butler, who has been at the centre of the fierce debate about sex, gender and self-identity for three decades. Their new book suggests those sceptical of gender fluidity and self-identity are part of a global authoritarian trend. Is tha ... Show More
23m 31s
Dec 2023
#48. Ontology and Oppression ft. Katherine Jenkins
<p>Alex and Tinka are joined by Katharine Jenkins as they delve deep into the captivating world of gender, identity, and the various social constructs that shape our lives.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The way society is organised means that we all get made into members of various types of ... Show More
55m 39s
Oct 2017
The Edge of Gender
<p>Gender is one of the first things we notice about the people around us. But where do our ideas about gender come from? Can gender differences be explained by genes and chromosomes, or are they the result of upbringing, culture and the environment? This week, we delve into the ... Show More
49m 50s
Apr 2012
Charlotte Witt, “The Metaphysics of Gender” (Oxford University Press, 2011)
Is your gender essential to who you are? If you were a man instead of a woman, or vice versa, would you be a different person? In her new bookThe Metaphysics of Gender (Oxford University Press, 2011), Charlotte Witt found that most people answered that obviously they’d be differe ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2022
The Genesis of Gender
What does it mean to be a man or a woman? And just as important in today's culture, how do we have civil, truthful, loving conversations about that topic? Seth and Tsh are joined by author and professor Abigail Favale to talk about those things. She's written a book that's taking ... Show More
51m 1s
Feb 2023
Top? Bottom? Balancing Masculinity & Femininity
Do you despise your own femininity? Lean towards masculinity even if it's not you? In this episode, we talk about our own struggles with our sexuality, the labels inside the community, and learning to grow into our true selves. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap ... Show More
45m 22s
Aug 2020
What it means to be intersex — and how the false sex binary harms us | Susannah Temko
For intersex people -- those born with sex characteristics outside the traditional definitions of female and male -- the stakes to appear "normal" are high. Drawing on her personal experience, Susannah Temko reveals the shame, prejudice and harm faced by the intersex community, a ... Show More
14m 29s
Sep 2025
S2 EP01 | What is feminine and how do we redefine womanhood?
We kick things off by unpacking how misogynistic ideals have historically molded femininity into a performance — from how we dress and laugh, to how we’re expected to serve and shrink ourselves for others. We explore how younger generations are both challenging and, at times, unk ... Show More
1h 6m