Colin Wright, fellow at the Manhattan Institute, discusses the biology of sex vs. gender, the fallout from academic fraud of Jonathan Pruitt, and the retreat of gender ideology abroad. They cover terms like cis and trans, intersex conditions, and the impact of ideological shifts in academia.
Academic fraud implications discussed, highlighting the repercussions of scientific misconduct.
Critical examination of sex and gender ideologies, emphasizing biological realities over prevalent narratives.
Exploration of political journey and challenges in academia due to diverging views on gender ideology.
Deep dives
The Misinterpreted Podcast Episode
In the podcast episode, various topics are discussed, ranging from advancements in gene testing for embryos to personal interactions and experiences among friends. There is also a notable mention of the dangers of going into the sun without sunscreen. The discussion delves into academic fraud and the implications of scientific misconduct. Additionally, examples from the animal kingdom, like fish changing sexes, are used to highlight the misconceptions around human sex and gender identity.
Challenging Sex and Gender Narratives
The podcast features a critical examination of sex and gender ideologies, highlighting the misconceptions and misinformation surrounding these topics. Concepts like gender performativity, intersex conditions, and the misuse of scientific data to support non-binary sex arguments are addressed. The discussion emphasizes the importance of adhering to biological realities and challenges the prevalent narratives in the academic and scientific spheres.
Political Evolution and Homelessness
The episode delves into the speaker's personal political journey, from being a Bernie Sanders liberal to finding alignment with center-right values. The content explores the speaker's sense of political homelessness and sheds light on the evolving landscape of political ideologies. The speaker discusses the challenges faced in academia due to diverging views on gender ideology and the consequences of holding heterodox perspectives.
Navigating Controversies and Ideological Changes
The podcast episode addresses the speaker's involvement in controversies and conflicts stemming from their stance on sex and gender topics. It explores the dynamics of heterodox thinking and interactions within the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW) group, reflecting on the evolving dynamics and fractures within the community. The speaker reflects on the shifting landscape of intellectual dialogue and the challenges faced in maintaining independent thought amidst changing ideological currents.
Differing Political Leanings of Sam Harris and Brett Weinstein
Sam Harris is described as a conventional liberal who strongly opposes Trump, even though he has heterodox views like being more aggressive towards Islam and expressing some positivity towards engagements with Charles Murray. On the other hand, Brett Weinstein, a former Bernie supporter and professor, has shifted towards more controversial viewpoints, like a theory suggesting Chinese male-dominated sex ratios as a preparation for war, which is met with skepticism by others.
Challenges and Diversions in the Culture War Arena
The discussion delves into the dynamics of internet-based conflicts, mentioning James Lindsay's shift from a new atheist author to being integrated within Christian evangelical circles. The conversation highlights the transformations in ideological standpoints and collaborations, emphasizing the challenges arising from disparate beliefs. Addressing the ongoing culture war tensions, the focus is on navigating differing views while maintaining authenticity amidst evolving affiliations and potential pivots in response to ideological shifts.
On this episode of Unsupervised Learning Razib talks to Colin Wright, a returning guest, host of the Reality’s Last Stand Substack and a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Before digging deep into the biology of sex and the cultural politics of gender ideology, Razib and Wright touch on what’s been happening to Jonathan Pruitt, Wright’s erstwhile advisor. He was accused of academic fraud in 2019, and dozens of papers where Pruitt was the primary contributor of data had to be retracted. Notably, papers where his mentees collected the data did not suffer from the same problems. Evidence quickly mounted that Pruitt’s whole career productivity was built on fraudulent data. As of 2024, Pruitt’s university, McMaster, where he had an endowed chair, found him to be guilty of fraud, while his doctoral dissertation from University of Tennessee was withdrawn. He resigned from his university in 2022, and embarked on a fantasy writing career. Today he is the author of the dark fantasy, The Amber Menhir.
Then Razib and Wright talk about the current state of gender ideology, and the conflicts around trans rights in the US and abroad. Wright, who is working on a book on sex and gender, believes we may have seen the high tide of gender ideology, with the retreat occuring earlier abroad in places like Britain, where youth medical gender transition has been severely curtailed. He also reviews the major terms and concepts, like the difference between sex and gender, and also what exactly is meant by binary sex and why it is so important in our ability to understand biology generally and patterns in human society specifically. Finally, Razib asks Wright to expound on the different factions in the “gender wars,” from gender critical TERFs to social conservatives and queer theorists.
https://razib.substack.com This is where you will find all the podcasts from Razib Khan's Substack and original video content.
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