![]() Immersion in fiction should not be denigrated, Stock argues but legislative maneuvers that seek to collapse fiction into material reality are having disastrous results. Trans identity, she argues, is a form of such immersion. Here, a key concept is “immersion,” which is to say a state in which a fictional world is embraced as an experience that is real but not-real. Stock tackles the subject via her previous discipline, the philosophy of fiction. Then she sets out her argument, namely that humans cannot literally change sex, only “gender,” but that current trans politics intentionally conflates the two, with serious negative consequences, especially for women and girls. Stock defines her terms-“sex,” “gender,” “gender identity”-and attempts a fairly neutral summary of her opponents’ position. Both are at pains in their writing to stress that they seek a compromise between the needs of trans people and other stakeholders, such as women, children, and gay and lesbian people.īut both are also broadly “liberal” in the sense that they embrace democratic process, good-faith compromise, and a commitment to empiricism over dogma. ![]() Stock and Joyce both come from broadly left-liberal fields: Joyce is a journalist and editor at The Economist, while Stock is a professor of analytical philosophy at the University of Sussex. debate, “gender-critical” discourse in the U.K. In contrast to the largely polarized red/blue U.S. Material Girls, by Kathleen Stock, delves into the intellectual history and real-world coherence of the same idea. Trans, by Helen Joyce, looks at “gender identity ideology”-the belief that “identity” should take precedence over biological sex-and its social, institutional, and political ramifications. Two books by leading voices in the U.K.’s “gender-critical” movement (TERFs to their opponents) may shed some light. pro-trans activists as “TERF Island.” How did Britain acquire such notoriety as a supposed hotbed of prejudice? government plans to allow official “gender self-identification” without a medical diagnosis were dropped following a lengthy grassroots campaign against the proposal. Even those who disclaim violence often support ostracism, loss of employment, and online harassment as appropriate punishment for those deemed to hold TERF opinions.ĭespite this, pushback in the United Kingdom against transgender activism has become increasingly organized, vocal, and politically effective. If perpetrated by a female, it results in being dubbed a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist,” or “TERF.” In “antifa” circles it is common to claim that punching TERFs is as legitimate as punching Nazis. How far do you agree with these assertions? Does Mchangama set out a convincing case for the importance of free speech? Is it helpful to those who want to defend free speech, or are there significant omissions?įollowing our discussion, we will agree which of the Letters on Liberty to discuss in 2023.On the identitarian left, refusing to pay lip service to the belief that humans can literally change sex is now a serious heresy. Thus, after decades of global gains, it has now suffered more than a decade of setbacks." It is held as the 'first freedom, the bedrock of democracy, the enemy of tyranny, the midwife of enlightenment and the source of truth.But free speech is far from assured it has not been the default position in the long arc of history. "Free speech is one of the most powerful and transformative ideas ever conceived. Mchangama is the author of Free Speech:a history from Socrates to Social Media, and he argues in this essay that we are in a free speech recession. You are strongly encouraged to read it to contribute more fully to the discussion, but if you don't we will give a short summary to introduce the key arguments. You can purchase the essay in booklet format or download a PDF version. From 1.45 pm we will introduce and discuss the essay The Future of Free Speech by Jacob Mchangama. Please join us from 1.00 pm for social time and informal discussion. This is the first in an occasional series of discussions based on the Letters on Liberty essays published by the Academy of Ideas.
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