Is it true that gender identity is a sense of being a woman or a man, or is it a belief?

@TinyViolins
I agree.


For certain individuals only? Are there provisions for non-conforming individuals to fit in to society?


You seem to imply that people have a choice with regard to integrating into society. We are told by our parents from the day we are born what we are supposed to be. Society takes over reinforcing that instruction at school till we are fully formed adults fit for society.


How does science - even if it is settled - comes in with regard to determining your gender identity?

@sree251
They have a choice with regards to trying. Whether or not they are accepted or rejected by that tribe is going to be determined by gatekeepers. Some people are going to be more intolerant than others


We are told a lot of things from a lot of people. We consume values and beliefs from a wide array of sources. Friends, family, schools, churches, television, internet, music, books, celebrities and politicians, etc. Invariably, old beliefs get replaced by new beliefs


If gender identity is biologically determined, as in with their neurology, hormones, or other chemical messengers, then transgender identities can become legitimized and intolerance towards them can be neutralized by reason. It validates gender non-conforming individuals

Gender identity may very well be environmental. That's also undetermined, and, given how highly unethical it would be to do a controlled study, probably indeterminable

@TinyViolins
What do you mean by biological determination? What are the criteria for biological determination of gender identity?

@sree251 Identity is part of the individuals psyche. We know that many personality and behaviors can be inherited from our parents. Certain personalities are driven to different identities. People with dopamine sensitivities usually identify as introverts. People with low serotonin levels might identify as depressed. People with an active amygdala could identify as shy.

Identities don't have to be rigid nor do they have to be purely biological. Everyone is a unique mix of biology and psychology. Of nature and nurture. It's logical to conclude that neurological or neurochemical markers have influence over which identities people align themselves with.

@TinyViolins
This is true from my point of view with regard to the psyche: identity is psychological.



I would say that identification with the body's sex is not a matter of choice. Are you saying that deviation from the norm is also not a matter of choice because it is influenced by neurological factors? Even if that is so, it is an anomaly. Is that not so?

@sree251
Like I said, that is a question for science to resolve. Not philosophy.

Imagine we said that a trait like introversion was a choice. You could make the argument that people evolved to be social. How it was normal to join groups, go to parties, or socialize with strangers. These introverts choosing solitude were going against their nature. We know better these days that it is largely influenced by dopamine receptors

Much like some people may inherit the genes for broader shoulders or coarser hair, I believe it's possible to inherit the genes for a brain that deviates from it's body's anatomy. People inherit genes for traits like schizophrenia, intelligence, introversion, neuroticism. Traits that are completely independent of their physiology. Maybe gender identity could be inheritable as well, even one that differs from their anatomy.

Deviation from the norm is inevitable because there is no such thing as being truly "normal". What is considered normal or not is merely a result of averages. Left-handedness is uncommon, but it's largely accepted as normal these days. I have uncles who would get punished in school for using their left hand to write less than 50 years ago.

Cultural norms change over time and with better knowledge. We're just know starting to study transgender and gender non-conforming people. Maybe there's underlying unknowns that we just don't understand yet. In my opinion, it's better to keep an open mind when we don't know all the facts rather than making purely ideological assumptions

@TinyViolins
Philosophy is not a branch of academia. It is the search for truth in anything and everything including the conclusions that scientists make. It seems that you are saying that only those accredited with the authority to think can do so and the rest of us are only entitled to receive their knowledge and wisdom.


Are you saying that we have no agency? How do we know better these days? Receive knowledge doled out to us by experts and intellectuals?


You are speculating. Well, your guess is as good as mine. If traits are completely independent of our physiology, than a wolf boy raised by wolves could mate with wolves. This doesn't mean that it is wholesome way to live as a human being.


Being left-handed is one thing, but walking on your hands instead of using legs is something else. Deviant behavior patterns within a culture are always a cause for inquiry.


The OP questions the nature of gender identity. Is it a sense of being a man or a woman? You have asserted that it is a sense of being a man or a woman but that sense of being is neither a matter of choice nor connected to biological reality. This is your belief.

@sree251
You can get degrees in philosophy. I'm pretty sure that makes it a branch of academia.

But what is a hypothesis if not a way of testing the truth? What many people, including yourself, are electing to do is to declare gender identity to be one way or the other without actually testing it.


Once again, I'm saying that it's a question left to be answered. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but it's imprudent to declare the truth without any compelling evidence.

Last I checked, mating was a physical act, not a mental one. Other than the Virgin Mary, I can't think of anyone impregnated by a thought.


There was a time where women wearing pants, black people reading a book, or two men holding hands was considered deviant behavior.

Are transgendered people inventing completely new forms of fashion or using unique haircuts to express their identity? Or are they largely conforming to already established cultural norms?


If there was a sense of being a man or a woman, then wouldn't it also be interpreted in the brain the way other senses are, like sound, sight, or smell? If you remember the infamous photo of the striped dress, people couldn't decide whether it was blue and black or white and gold. There are auditory illusions where different people hear different phrases despite the audio being the same.

How much of our senses are influenced by beliefs? Or our beliefs by our senses? There are people who enjoy being touched and others who do not. Some enjoy the smell of lavender and other don't. You talk about these things like they are diametrically opposed.

All I'm proposing is to better understand the roots of gender identity. If it is a belief, where did that belief originate, how does it spread, and why are only some people captured by that belief?

If it is a sense, which is what transgendered people most often claim, then why does that sense differ in some individuals and not in others? How does that sense develop?

Either way, it's up to research, not rhetoric, to find the answers

@TinyViolins
Of course, you can study philosophy as an academic discipline and learn about what "philosophy" is all about. It is the search for understanding of anything you want to examine. One could examine doctrines of religion, principle of mathematics, theories of physics, as well as, the truth of what we are talking about.

I am not declaring anything but inviting a discussion on our beliefs about gender identity. I am philosophizing on your perspective of gender identity. I am questioning you on your belief. In doing so, I want us to examine (i.e. philosophize on) the things you said.

@TinyViolins
Being wrong about gender identity issues is not a crime. It is a personal matter if you are a man and wants to become a woman. It is a personal desire. There is no truth about this, is there? The OP questions the nature of this desire: Is gender identity (merely) a sense of being a man or a woman?

Transitioning from being a man to being a woman is not the same as transitioning from a man to a woman. Self-awareness stems from a realization of what you are. If you have a male body, that is the cue telling you that you are a man even if you have a sense of being a woman. The sense of being is wholly psychological.

@TinyViolins
Gender identity is the gender you identify as. It is not a sense of being but actually what you are. A sense of being is what an actor feels as he goes into the role of the character he plays.

Is your identity what you are or is it an act? If you are a man and not just acting as one, then you can't transition. A sense of being a man introduces an element of disconnect between mind and body. This allows switching to other identities.


Can't you and I do the research? It is called introspection. Do we need a qualified psychologists to do it and pronounce the conclusions? How would they know what makes a transgender ticks. It would be the same as analyzing a patient whose condition psychologists don't share unless they are trans also.