Maya Forstater

Rachel - I think if we didn't have a word for adult human females we'd have to invent one. But let's say you are right and there is no information content in that word, its not a real thing. Let's get rid of it. Let's pretend the word never existed....

... But then you tell me there's a new word "woman". I've never heard it before. What does it mean? How do I know if I am one? Or if someone else is? What is the definition?

Why are definitions so important? Why do we need to put people on pens/ categories? Why not just empiricallly work out what makes people happy?

Alice I really don't how you can take this position as a researcher. If everything is meaningless and there are no useful categories or useful buckets how do you study anything?

I don’t shoehorn complexity into tight little stilettos that don’t quite fit. Instead of making up categories and stuffing the world into them, I study the world as it is. I reckon that makes me a better researcher but hey ho...

So when you use the word women what do you mean?

I don’t start with definitions, I start with understanding how to increase happiness. And at the moment, that means championing inclusion, diversity, equality, however people label themselves.

(Side note: I thought we were discussing sex. I think this comment "how do you study anything?" personalised it, attacking me, challenging the very idea of me undertaking research. I don't think that was helpful or polite. I was surprised MF said it M, & RB liked it)