Upvoted because as aspiring rationalists we are presumably intelligent, and should act as though we are enlightened.
See Hofstadter’s article in Metamagical Themas on using gendered pronouns (preview here). I was sympathetic to its conclusions before I read it, but it gives good ideas to consider.
Yup, that was when I decided to grit my teeth and use non-gendered language no matter what it did to prosody. Once I transitioned from “ve” to “they” it grew on me surprisingly fast, and no longer takes a conscious effort; male-specific language now seems jarring.
Hofstadter (and Dawkins) were both influential to my thoughts on non-gendered language, but XKCD best sums up my thoughts on “they” vs. awkward substitutes.
Another contribution via Hofstadter was mentioned recently on Less Wrong: A Person Paper on Purity in Language. Be sure to read the postscript, even if you don’t finish the main body.
Upvoted because as aspiring rationalists we are presumably intelligent, and should act as though we are enlightened.
See Hofstadter’s article in Metamagical Themas on using gendered pronouns (preview here). I was sympathetic to its conclusions before I read it, but it gives good ideas to consider.
Yup, that was when I decided to grit my teeth and use non-gendered language no matter what it did to prosody. Once I transitioned from “ve” to “they” it grew on me surprisingly fast, and no longer takes a conscious effort; male-specific language now seems jarring.
“They” has long been in use for that purpose anyhow. Singular “they” being incorrect is a relatively modern, and quickly fading, notion.
Hofstadter (and Dawkins) were both influential to my thoughts on non-gendered language, but XKCD best sums up my thoughts on “they” vs. awkward substitutes.
Not that “they” isn’t the current best option for practical writing, but had you ever tried Spivak?
ETA: The notability I claim for Spivak is that it does not add sounds not present in the standard English pronouns (such as z and v).
I believe the favored gender-neutral third-person subject pronoun du jour is “zie.”
ie. “Zie bought hir shoes at Walmart.”
Another contribution via Hofstadter was mentioned recently on Less Wrong: A Person Paper on Purity in Language. Be sure to read the postscript, even if you don’t finish the main body.
Thank you for mentioning this. Given the number of GEB fans around here, Hofstadter’s thoughts on the matter may be of interest.
This is fascinating and insightful. Thank you very much for the link.