The Chin-Plaisance Colloquia Series Welcomes Dr. Alejandro Naranjo Sandoval (UC Davis)

The Chin-Plaisance Colloquia Committee and the Department of Philosophy are delighted to welcome Dr. Alejandro Naranjo Sandoval (UC Davis) to SFSU.

The talk will begin at 4 P.M. A catered meet and greet with Dr. Sandoval will follow. All are welcome!

"Natural Destiny in Poulain's Account of Gender Inequality"

Abstract: Whence come gender and gender inequality — nature or society? Poulain de la Barre (1647-1723) is often thought to be an early proponent of the view that gender and gender inequality is theresult of social factors, as opposed to innate physical or mental differences. But, I argue, his views are more complicated than that. For Poulain, some physical differences between the sexes play an irreducible role in bringing about gender difference. They do so sometimes directly, but most commonly indirectly, in a way that is mediated by custom. What is distinctive and innovative about Poulain, then, is his nuanced views about how small physical differences ultimately lead to immense social ones, in the presence of certain conditions. Along the way, I discuss whether Poulain can be said to have recognized the gender/sex distinction.