You’re misunderstanding Julian’s claim, albeit I think for reasons of inferential distance rather than deliberate misreading. The claim was not that anthropology/Sinister Cathedral Orthodoxy endorses inborn gender identity, despite its being wrong, for its political utility to trans rights. Such Orthodoxy is precisely the basis on which he thinks it is wrong. The claim was that activists endorse this false belief for its political utility, and that he and other Sinister Cathedral Agents don’t feel particularly obliged to go out of their way to correct it (although doing so was precisely what he did in that post.) If there was a widespread belief that washing your hands protected you from demons, I would not fault epidemiologists for failing to prioritize disabusing the public of this. Nor does it strike me as an affront to science that epidemiologists, as a general rule, have normative commitments that extend beyond scientific inquiry and on to the belief that health is better than sickness.
The claim was not that anthropology/Sinister Cathedral Orthodoxy endorses inborn gender identity, despite its being wrong, for its political utility to trans rights. Such Orthodoxy is precisely the basis on which he thinks it is wrong. The claim was that activists endorse this false belief for its political utility, and that he and other Sinister Cathedral Agents don’t feel particularly obliged to go out of their way to correct it (although doing so was precisely what he did in that post.)
My point is that one way or another the claim obtains the official stamp of approval as being the “scientific” and that this is an argument to be highly skeptical of anthropological claims with this approval.
The claim was not that anthropology/Sinister Cathedral Orthodoxy endorses inborn gender identity, despite its being wrong, for its political utility to trans rights.
Of course not. Her claim is the the great and noble anthropologists are deceiving the public for the greater good.
I don’t believe so. At least I can’t see where your position differs from mine. The difference is you object to my formulation her position in a way that doesn’t make anthropology look good.
You’re misunderstanding Julian’s claim, albeit I think for reasons of inferential distance rather than deliberate misreading. The claim was not that anthropology/Sinister Cathedral Orthodoxy endorses inborn gender identity, despite its being wrong, for its political utility to trans rights. Such Orthodoxy is precisely the basis on which he thinks it is wrong. The claim was that activists endorse this false belief for its political utility, and that he and other Sinister Cathedral Agents don’t feel particularly obliged to go out of their way to correct it (although doing so was precisely what he did in that post.) If there was a widespread belief that washing your hands protected you from demons, I would not fault epidemiologists for failing to prioritize disabusing the public of this. Nor does it strike me as an affront to science that epidemiologists, as a general rule, have normative commitments that extend beyond scientific inquiry and on to the belief that health is better than sickness.
My point is that one way or another the claim obtains the official stamp of approval as being the “scientific” and that this is an argument to be highly skeptical of anthropological claims with this approval.
Which claim? The one that anthropologists are endorsing is not the one that’s politically convenient to them.
Of course not. Her claim is the the great and noble anthropologists are deceiving the public for the greater good.
Okay, so at this point we’re basically disagreeing over what someone intended by what they say. Unless Julian wants to clarify I’m going to tap out.
I don’t believe so. At least I can’t see where your position differs from mine. The difference is you object to my formulation her position in a way that doesn’t make anthropology look good.