School of History and Philosophy of Science RESEARCH SEMINAR [The University of Sydney] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260524/85/c7/96/77/ba2306ec500ffffc839c4952_1276x840.jpg] Sex as a Process Paul E. Griffiths (University of Sydney and Macquarie University)
Dates: Monday, 01/06/2026 Start Time: 5:30pm Venue: The Sybil Centre, 15 Carillon Avenue, Newtown, NSW, Australia How to register: Free, no registration required Website: https://hps-events.sydney.edu.au/<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/k5unx3e> Abstract: Biological sex is defined by anisogamy: males produce small gametes, females large gametes. This definition has been criticised as a ‘sex binary’ harmful to sexual and gender minorities. Such criticism conflates gametic sex, which is binary, with phenotypic sex, which is not. There are two gametic sexes, but many kinds of sexed bodies combining sexes in different ways. In a well-meaning effort to support diverse communities, many theorists have sought to increase the number of sexes. But there is a better solution. That is to realise that sexes are phenotypes. They are not present in miniature in the fertilised egg. Just like arms, livers or musical ability, sexes have to grow. Sex is a process. Because sexes are phenotypes, chromosomes, nest temperatures and other sex-determining mechanisms may cause the sex of an individual, but they cannot constitute the sex of that individual, any more than the gene for blue eyes can be a blue eye. This developmental perspective on sex provides a framework for understanding both the evolved diversity of sexed bodies across species and the open-ended, idiosyncratic diversity of sexed bodies within a single species. Bio: Emeritus Professor Paul Griffiths was formerly Challis Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney. He has been both a Laureate Fellow (2018) and a Federation Fellow (2007) of the Australian Research Council. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Society of NSW, and was awarded the RSNSW Medal for History and Philosophy of Science in 2019. He was twice appointed to the Australian Health Ethics Committee, a Principal Committee of NHMRC (2006-9, 2009-12). In 2022 Paul received the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Research Leadership Award and was named in a Stanford University study as amongst the top 2% of influential academics worldwide. He retired at the beginning of 2024 and in addition to his Emeritus position at University of Sydney he is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Humanities at Macquarie University, where he continues to hold research grants. [https://images.e2ma.net/0/images/templates/spacer.gif] [The University of Sydney] Keep in touch [Facebook]<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/0xvnx3e> [Twitter]<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/gqwnx3e> [Instagram]<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/wixnx3e> [LinkedIn]<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/cbynx3e> [YouTube]<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/s3ynx3e> Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia Phone +61 2 9351 2222 ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS Number: 00026A Please add [email protected] to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Manage<https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1976084/1957350/1471965670/107965563366/?s=TPPGtrOxsbICKycNZ4PBICqaoc-YMvVxfoRq0WmRgGc> your preferences | Opt out<https://t.e2ma.net/optout/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb?s=eLs1Kojf7E2OfKkWVtvxAoq6k44CJafF6DbdrrWti48> using TrueRemove® Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1976084/1957350.1471965670/> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://t.e2ma.net/message/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb>. Disclaimer<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/8vznx3e> | Privacy statement<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/oo0nx3e> | University of Sydney<https://t.e2ma.net/click/k9lnmy/44z6tvnb/4g1nx3e> --------- SydPhil mailing list To unsubscribe, change your membership options, find answers to common problems, or visit our online archives, please go to the list information page: https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil
