Philosopher of science Cordelia Fine on charges of ‘feminist bias’.

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[–]GConly 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I'm sorry but her first book, Delusions of Gender, is a great example of how to omit any research that disagrees with your argument.

It misses out huge chunks of modern research at prenatal androgens affecting animal behaviour and neurological development. Scientists were observing testosterone in embryos affects adult animal aggression, sexuality and play behaviour for decades.

She also tries to claim that girls with CAH only act in a masculine fashion because they get mistaken for boys at an early stage... This is just wrong. Virtually all of them are spotted at birth.

She also ignores boys who have no external male genitalia who get raised as girls. This group usually gets spotted as male long before puberty because of their behaviour. Everyone thinks they are female as kids, socialisation cannot be a factor here.

[–]anonymale[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

She also tries to claim that girls with CAH only act in a masculine fashion because they get mistaken for boys at an early stage... This is just wrong. Virtually all of them are spotted at birth.

I'm pressed for time so will just say that her treatment of the research on foetal androgens and children with CAH seems much more nuanced than the way you present it here. She writes in ch. 11 of DoG:

In short, we just don’t know what’s going on.

With regard to detection of CAH in girls, she writes, contrary to your claim about her writing:

Usually the condition is detected at birth.

[–]Sun_bear 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

I'm so disappointed to realise Cordelia Fine has swallowed the TRA cool aid by the looks of things. Her book delusions of gender was such an important read for me.

[–]anonymale[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I don't know what her personal position is on the subject of gender identity but it doesn't seem to me from that piece that she is now an advocate of the ladybrain hypothesis. A year ago she was among a dozen signatories to an open letter protesting cancellation of gender-critical philosophers: a courageous position for any academic, especially a female one, to take these days.

She does use the words 'cis-sexist' and 'transphobia' in that piece, in the context of pointing out the hypocrisy of condemning 'politically correct science' while tolerating cancellation of feminist scientists. Is the use of those words what disappointed you?

[–]Sun_bear 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, particularly cis-sexist. I suppose I can't imagine someone using cis-sexist in that context and not being on board with at least some TRA talking points.

[–]sisterinsomnia 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I didn't read the piece as stating that at all. And the Testosterone Rex book (which I have read in great detail) is all about biological sex, though I guess one could argue that women who take testosterone then join the kings, too. Fine does not go there at all if you read the paragraph where the relevant terms are used:

"Embracing criticism means engaging, seriously and in good faith, with arguments and evidence that challenge us. Documenting sexist, racist, cis-sexist or ‘blank-slatist’ biases in science is fine – as is disagreeing with the merit of such arguments, if you interrogate them and the evidence behind them in turn. But if you’re not a fan of seeing scientists’ views attributed to personal racism, transphobia or misogyny, then nor should you tolerate commentary about scientists supposedly being biased by their feminist motives."

[–]sisterinsomnia 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Though I fully do get why it is scary not to toe the line on trans issues, given that even gentle questioning of any detail is transphobia. You are dancing on a tightrope if you are a public person.