A Mathematician's Manifesto For Rethinking Gender
Mathematician Eugenia Cheng's book X+Y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender uses category theory, her field of research, to re-examine the role of gender in society. Basic Books hide caption
Mathematician Eugenia Cheng's book X+Y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender uses category theory, her field of research, to re-examine the role of gender in society.
Basic BooksGender is infused in many aspects of our world — but should that be the case?
According to mathematician Eugenia Cheng, maybe not. In her new book, x+y, she challenges readers to think beyond their ingrained conceptions of gender. Instead, she calls for a new dimension of thinking, characterizing behavior in a way completely removed from considerations of gender. She proposes two new terms:
- Ingressive - focusing on aggressive, individualistic, single-track thinking
- Congressive - centering the collective rather than the individual, bringing together things and ideas
In her book, Cheng argues that at every level — from the interpersonal to the societal — we would benefit from focusing less on gender and more on equitable, inclusive interactions, regardless of a person's gender identity.
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This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez and edited by Viet Le. Rebecca Ramirez and Emily Kwong checked the facts.