Essence and Existence

Essence: The what-ness of an object
Existence: The is-ness of an object

Paramenides, a pre-Socratic scholar was a huge proponent of Monism. He believed that there was only one kind of being. The argument went something like, all that exist has being. If all that separates being is empty space (like the atomists believed) or the negation of a quality (like that the Platoism posits) then there is only kind of being. It was not until Aquanis came along centuries later and pointed out the issues with monism.

1. If there is only one kind of being, then everything is one.
2. We know there  are beings of the kind which require a cause.
3. There must be at least one being that needs no cause or else all beings need a cause and there would then be no being which existed prior to the existence of any other being because all beings would then need a cause.
4. Thus, there is at least one necessary being, and at least one contingent being.
5. Therefore, there is everything is not one.

For the contingent being, it is possible for it to not exist, pending the necessary being, making its existence potential. However, a necessary being must exist, as part of what it is. In other words, this being must be without cause by its essence. Thus its essence and existence are one in the same.

An Argument Against the Coherency of Transexualism/ The Hermaphrodite Argument

1. The genes X & Y are necessary for determining sex in humans.
2. Any S possessing a Y gene is a male.
3. Therefore, All Ss without Y genes are non-males.

1. Functioning sex organs are sufficient conditions for determining sex in humans.
2. Any S possessing functioning male sex organs is sufficiently a Male.
3. Any S possessing functioning female sex organs is sufficiently a Female.
4. Therefore, Any S possessing both functioning F and M sex organs is sufficiently M and F.

1. Gender is the possessing of a greater inclination towards feminine or masculine traits.
2. Feminine and masculine traits are determined by a society.
3. Sex influences the ascription of feminine and masculine traits.
3. Therefore, gender is determined by society, but is influenced by sex.

I created these arguments as a way to lay out the logic behind sex and gender but I am not sure if they both do what I want them to. They are meant to express that S can affect the gender they posess, but not their sex. However, even if a gender is different than S's sex, S's sexual identity is still encoded in their DNA. Thus, while a hermaphrodite is male, they are also sufficiently female. Either gender they choose would be aligned with their sexual identity. An additional consequence of this argument is that you cannot change your sexual identity without changing your genes.