Essay II

Posted: Thu, Nov 7, 2024

Due: November 23, 11:59pm, to D2L > Assignments

Format: 2–3 pages, double-spaced, any reasonable in-text or footnote citation style so long as you consistently apply it (use Chicago Author-Date if you don’t have a favorite)

Assignment: Please write an essay on one of the following prompts.

In the Introduction to The Second Sex, Beauvoir writes, “So not every female human being is necessarily a woman; she must take part in this mysterious and endangered reality known as femininity” (p. 3). How does Beauvoir reach this conclusion, why was it so revolutionary, what’s its significance for her overall project, and do you think that’s the right way to think about womanhood—why or why not?
A contested issue in Beauvorian scholarship is how to translate the famous sentence—“On ne naît pas femme: on le devient.” In class, we focused on how the deliberate omission of the indefinite article in the Borde and Malovany-Chevallier translation forces a social constructivist rather than existentialist reading. Please compare and contrast these two leading readings of Beauvoir’s famous sentence. How do you ultimately think this famous sentence should be translated, and why?
Fausto-Sterling concludes her discussion with a striking declaration: “We inhabit a moment in history when we have the theoretical understanding and practical power to ask a question unheard of before in our culture: ‘Should there be only two sexes?’” (p. 77). Based on the chapter we read, how do you think Fausto-Sterling would answer this question? If you agree with her, anticipate a plausible worry from somebody who doesn’t and respond to it on Fausto-Sterling’s behalf; if you don’t agree, raise a plausible worry and anticipate what Fausto-Sterling would say in response.
Tuana proposes that “ignorance should not be theorized as a simple omission or gap but is, in many cases, an active production” (p. 195). Please carefully present and then critically assess her argument for this claim—what is her case study for showing why this is the case, what is appealing about this way of thinking about ignorance, and do you think she is right about it (and why or why not)?
Both Serano and Bettcher argue against the popular conception of trans women as “women trapped inside men’s bodies,” but they do so for very different reasons and they end up with very different alternative views. Please carefully set up the disagreement and then critically adjudicate it. In so doing, be sure to explain the origin and function of the “trapped in the wrong body” theory, Serano’s “subconscious sex” theory, and Bettcher’s ideas of “resistant meaning” and “reality enforcement.”

Advice:

Imagine that you are writing to a friend not enrolled in the class, rather than to me as the instructor. Don’t presume familiarity with the readings. Explain your key terms. Use clear, direct, and simple prose. Don’t mistake obscurity for profundity.
Show your work. Don’t report merely that an author holds the view they do. Rather, explain why or on what grounds they hold that view. Be sure to cite relevant textual evidence to support your interpretation of the author.
Integrate your sources into your essay through paraphrases unless there is really no other way around. And even on the rare occasion you have to use a direct quote, explain what you take the quote to mean; don’t simply leave it to the reader to interpret on their own.
You must have a thesis that you are arguing for. Keep in mind that philosophical writing is argumentative, not merely expository. Of course, in order to get to your assessment of another author’s argument, you will need to explain the argument first. But your own take should be the star of your essay, not an afterthought.

Plagiarism: There is absolutely no need to consult outside sources to complete this essay. But if you do, you must cite them properly. I view plagiarism as a very serious violation of the university’s Code of Academic Integrity, and you should as well. Please see https://new.library.arizona.edu/research/citing/plagiarism for helpful advice on avoiding plagiarism.