One of my favorite stories from my classical philosophy college courses is a particular episode between Plato and Diogenes the Cynic, who were both attempting to define a man.
According to the tale, Plato had proffered the definition of “a featherless biped.” Upon hearing this, Diogenes, absolute chaos gremlin that he was, plucked a chicken, and took it to one of Plato’s lectures on the topic. When Plato gave his definition to the audience, Diogenes stood up, lifted the featherless chicken for the crowd to see, and shouted “Behold! A man!” Plato then amended his definition to “a featherless biped with broad, flat nails.”
This is one of my favorites for a lot of reasons. First off, it’s objectively hilarious. I can think of more than one person in my life who would attempt to pull off that type of stunt just to annoy an academic who has defined something in a way they dislike (minus the animal cruelty, of course). Second, it continues to resonate millennia later, but now instead of asking “What is a man” people are asking “What is a woman?”
Some people define a “woman” as someone with a vagina. This presents problems, as transgender women who receive bottom surgery have vaginas. So, then, perhaps it is someone born with a vagina? Well, what does that mean for intersex people, who are often given genital surgery at birth when their anatomy does not firmly meet criteria for a penis or vagina? It can’t be based on whether or not the person has a uterus, because not only does that present issues for intersex people, but also women who have hysterectomies. Even more issues arise if you attempt to define womanhood based on the ability to conceive children, or have a period, as it would also exclude women who have any number of medical conditions, or who have gone through menopause.
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