The Metaphysics Of Gender Identity: Between Essentialism And Social Constructivism
Main Article Content
Muhammad Amin
Ahmad
This article examines gender identity within a metaphysical framework by exploring the tension between essentialist and social constructivist paradigms. The core issue addressed in this research is the absence of a conceptual framework capable of reconciling these two traditionally opposing approaches. Essentialism regards gender as a fixed, inherent attribute, whereas constructivism emphasizes that gender is shaped by social and cultural practices. The aim of this study is to formulate a hybrid metaphysical model that integrates both perspectives through dialectical synthesis. The methodology employed involves a philosophical literature review with thematic analysis of works published within the last five years. Findings reveal that a relationally grounded hybrid model successfully merges the strengths of both paradigms, offering a more inclusive and applicable approach for social policy development. This model is viewed as critical for advancing academic discourse while also providing a robust philosophical foundation for the recognition and protection of gender diversity in contemporary society.
Ásta. (2021). Categories we live by: The construction of sex, gender, race, and other social categories. Oxford University Press.
Bettcher, T. M. (2021). Performativity, normativity, and the metaphysics of gender. Hypatia, 36(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/hypa.12610
Bettcher, T. M. (2023). The performative force of gendered language: A feminist metaphysical perspective. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 9(1), 2–18.
Butler, J. (2020). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Fine, C. (2020). Delusions of gender: The real science behind sex differences. Icon Books.
Haslanger, S. (2020). Resisting reality: Social construction and social critique. Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, K. (2022). How to be a pluralist about gender categories. In R. Halwani, J. M. Held, N. McKeever, & A. Soble (Eds.), The philosophy of sex: Contemporary readings (8th ed., pp. 233–259). Rowman & Littlefield.
Ocasio, T. S. (2022). Essentialism predicts attitudes toward gender non-binary people [Master’s thesis, University at Albany]. https://doi.org/10.54014/B7M1-1WSS
Richardson, K. (2025). The metaphysics of gender and the gender binary. Feminist Philosophy Quarterly, 11(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.21629/fpq.11.5
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Tappolet, C. (2022). Minimal essentialism and gender identity: Rethinking ontological commitments. European Journal of Philosophy, 30(3), 425–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejop.12510
Witt, C. (2021). The metaphysics of gender. Oxford University Press.
Zimman, L. (2023). Transgender voices: Language, gender, and identity. Routledge.
Díaz León, E. (2025). The metaphysics of gender. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009264167
Richardson, K. (2023). The metaphysics of gender is (relatively) substantial: Substantivity and gender pluralism. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/phpr.12916
Logue, H. (2022). Gender fictionalism: A self-identification account of womanhood. Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy, 8, 28. https://doi.org/10.3998/ergo.2229
Elanor, T. (2023). Substantive metaphysical debates about gender and race: Verbal disputes and metaphysical deflationism. Journal of Social Philosophy, 53(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/josp.12481
Currah, P. (2022). Sex is as sex does: Governing transgender identity. NYU Press. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814717100.001.0001
Bedrocks, M. (2022). Searching for bedrocks: Gender, biology, and the question of ontology. Psychoanalytic Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332828.2022.2074137
Islam, S., Alam, M. J., & Penalba, M. (2024). Does gender diversity mediate diversity beliefs and workplace happiness? Frontiers in Sociology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1384790
Briggs, R. A., & George, B. R. (2023). What even is gender? Analysis, 83(4), 801–820. https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/awad017
