The Dissenter

#1218 Edward Hagen: Is Sex Binary?

Feb 20, 2026
Edward Hagen, professor of evolutionary anthropology who studies mental health and evolutionary explanations, critiques Agustín Fuentes' Sex Is a Spectrum. He challenges explanatory gaps, traces the evolution of sex and anisogamy, debates how to define male and female, and examines sexual selection, the division of labor, intersex and trans issues, and the ethical stakes of abandoning a binary view of sex.
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INSIGHT

History Claim Needs Nuance

  • Thomas Laqueur's 'one-sex' historical claim is contested by historians.
  • Hagen criticizes Fuentes for presenting Laqueur without acknowledging substantive scholarly critiques.
INSIGHT

New Terms Need Clear Use

  • Fuentes' '3G' terminology (gametes, gonads, genitals) is permissible but not necessarily useful.
  • Hagen accepts novel terms but urges clarity about when distinctions matter, especially in medicine or social roles.
INSIGHT

Bateman Gradient And Sexual Selection

  • The Bateman gradient links number of mates to fitness and indexes sexual selection.
  • Empirical and theoretical work largely supports its role, though critiques persist and more research is needed.
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