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[–]whoamiwhowhowhowho 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

All categories are social constructs

I'm new here, so pardon if you've answered this before. Does this view affect how you live life in ways unrelated to gender identity? If I understand correctly, you don't just think "man," "woman," "male," and "female" are social constructs; you would also say the same about "human," "barn," "oxygen," etc. How does this cause you to interact with the world differently from someone who is not a nominalist?

[–]HeimdeklediROAR 2 insightful - 7 fun2 insightful - 6 fun3 insightful - 7 fun -  (2 children)

I like to think that it helps me avoid drawing generalizations about circumstances and to try to remain humble about the limitations of my human viewpoint. It also influences my religious views as I mostly Identify as a buddhist and agree with the teaching that all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature.

[–]whoamiwhowhowhowho 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

How does it affect your everyday life in specific ways, though? Believing "man" and "woman" are social constructs has a clear impact on what you believe about trans women and trans men, how you spend some of your time (interacting on this forum), and many of your choices about your clothing, medical care, identity, and other aspects of life if you are trans yourself (I got the impression you are but not sure). It leads you to think of these two groups (man and woman) in a vastly different way from the majority of humanity throughout history and to act accordingly. Since it has such a profound impact on your understanding of two words that most people take for granted, what about nominalism leads you to interact with the world differently in other ways? I'm asking because I doubt a philosophy like that would have radical effects in one subject area and not others. I wouldn't say not generalizing, trying to be humble, and being a Buddhist are particularly associated with nominalism, so that's why I'm digging a bit here.

[–]usehername 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Postmodernism is a hell of a drug.