Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy6
Does this depend on maintaining the standard definitions of “man” and “boy”? Is anyone objectively a man or a boy, on this view, independently of the act of identification? If not, then with what are the “he” people identifying?
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I realized after I posted that it is really the definition of "man/boy" and "woman/girl" which are shifting.
"Man" means a person who identifies as a man.
"Woman" means a person who identifies as a woman".
The definitions of "he" and "she" aren't actually changing at all, but their changing usage reflects the shifting meaning of "man" and "woman".
I was just too lazy to make that edit.
It is, of course, important to note that I do not believe that there is any movement afoot to reimagine the meanings of "male" and "female" (which are based on physical characteristics derived from sex chromosomes and genes that lead to certain gonads, internal and external genitalia, and physiological hormones).