The Enigma of Gender by Hans-Georg Moeller - ISBN: 9780231221283
Paperback
Rethink gender: it’s social, not individual. Be at ease.
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The Enigma of Gender

Why Identity Is Neither Individual Nor Essential

RRP$44.94

$37.88

  • Paperback

    232 pages

  • Release Date

    14 March 2026

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Summary

Current debates about gender identity are fraught with contradictions. Even as we increasingly recognize gender as an assigned category or social convention, we still see it as inherent to who we are, fundamental to our sense of self. But the quest to find one’s true self is unfulfillable. How can we find alternatives to the focus on getting our identity “right”?

This book offers a cultural critique of gender narratives, spanning traditional conformity to gender roles, the modern ques…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780231221283
ISBN-10:0231221282
Author:Hans-Georg Moeller
Publisher:Columbia University Press
Imprint:Columbia University Press
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:232
Release Date:14 March 2026
Weight:300g
Dimensions:140mm x 216mm
A-Format
B-Format
The Enigma of Gender by Hans-Georg Moeller - ISBN: 9780231221283
140 × 216 mm
C-Format
A4
mm / in
What They're Saying

Critics Review

Through luminous insight and powerful clarity, Moeller opens a new horizon—gender ease, a Daoist way of being that flows beyond fixed categories and hardened identities. – Robin R. Wang, author of Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture
Moeller’s idea that gender is neither individual nor essential is intriguing and thought-provoking. His Daoist approach enriches contemporary debates regarding narratives about gender, taking inspiration from the fact that yin and yang, which represent feminine and masculine principles in Daoism, are fluid energies not fixed to gender (or identity). – Ellen Zhang, professor of comparative philosophy, University of Macau
In this timely book, Hans-Georg Moeller provides new approaches to gender informed by subjects ranging from East Asian cultures and Daoism to the increasing reliance on profiles, which has changed our conceptions of and relationships to gender. The philosophical perspectives, cultural observations, and writing style make this work both thought-provoking and enjoyable. – Paul J. D’Ambrosio, professor of Chinese philosophy, East China Normal University

About The Author

Hans-Georg Moeller

Hans-Georg Moeller is professor of philosophy at the University of Macau. His books include You and Your Profile: Identity After Authenticity (2021) and Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi (2017), both with Paul J. D’Ambrosio.

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