Philosophers have debated for centuries about what constitutes "self" and "being". From Plato to Descartes to Kant to Heidegger, these concepts are at the core of Western thought.
There has been increasing interest in expanding beyond binary categories like male/female and human/animal. This paper will explore how non-binary ontologies can help shape our understanding of selfhood and being by looking at three key concepts: identity, embodiment, and relationality.
Identity
In traditional philosophy, identity is often defined as sameness across time and space. The idea is that an entity remains the same person from one moment to another despite changes in appearance, location, or circumstances. But this conception fails to account for the fluid nature of personal identities. People may change their names, genders, sexual orientations, careers, hobbies, and more throughout life. Non-binary ontology suggests that rather than viewing identity as stable, we should think of it as a process of becoming. It is not simply who you are now but also who you were before and who you might become tomorrow.
Embodiment
Non-binary ontology also challenges traditional ideas about embodiment. In Western philosophy, bodies are typically conceived as bounded entities with clear boundaries between inside and outside. But this conceptualization ignores the fact that bodies are always interconnected with other bodies and environments. We cannot exist without our physical surroundings; they are part of us just as much as we are part of them. This interconnection means that embodiment must be understood relationally. Our bodies are not separate units but constantly interacting with others and the world around us.
Relationality
Non-binary ontology emphasizes the importance of relationships. Traditional philosophical accounts tend to treat individuals as isolated subjects who interact with external objects. But this view ignores the ways in which people are embedded within social networks and communities. Non-binary ontology acknowledges that we are all connected through shared experiences, memories, desires, and emotions. By recognizing these ties, we can better understand how individual identities emerge from collective practices like language, art, religion, and politics.
Non-binary ontologies offer an alternative approach to selfhood and being that challenges traditional conceptions. By focusing on processes of becoming, relationality, and interconnection, they open up new possibilities for understanding ourselves and our place in the world.
Can non-binary ontology reshape philosophical discussions of selfhood and being?
Philosophers have often sought to understand what it means to be human through exploring questions of identity, consciousness, and existence. Traditional ontologies like Aristotelianism and Cartesian dualism assume that there are only two genders, male and female, which can lead to exclusionary thinking about gender identities.