Rivista di Estetica (3/2026)

Biology and gender. Bodies, environments, and contexts

Advisory editors: Elena Casetta (Università di Torino) and Vera Tripodi (Politecnico di Torino)

Deadline for submission: July 30, 2025

Description

The first chapter of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir is devoted to “The Data of Biology,” where she explores what biology reveals about sexual characteristics and reproduction, not only in the human species but across the entire living world. In a similar vein, Anne Fausto-Sterling has suggested that we look to biology to understand that the sexual spectrum forms a continuous range, which cannot easily be constrained into just two categories. But what is the relationship between biological factors and gender?

This issue of Rivista di Estetica seeks to explore this classic philosophical question, expanding the discussion in two main directions: on the one hand, to feminist philosophical and especially metaphysical perspectives on the biological sciences, medicine, biomedical engineering, and environmental issues; and on the other hand, to sexual difference and corporeality, from both a phenomenological and a political perspective.

We encourage authors from different fields to submit their contributions on the following and related topics:

• Biological determinism and antideterminism;
• The categories of sex and gender;
• Supposed brain differences between sexes or genders;
• Gender Medicine;
• Women’s reproductive medicine and health (childbirth, gestation, abortion);
• Women’s Agency, reproductive technologies, and gestation for others;
• Feminist perspectives on biotechnology in medicine;
• Medical bioethics, environmental and animal ethics, feminist bioethics;
• Feminist perspectives in philosophy of biology;
• Feminism and the environment;
• Gender metaphors in biology;
• Phenomenology of women’s sexual and reproductive life;
• Corporeality, personal identity, gender patterns and gender transitions;
• Bodily, sexual or gender performativity, embodiment, artistic creativity;
• Gender fluidity, trans philosophy and feminisms;
• Feminist perspectives on intersectionality.

Submissions should be written in English and prepared for blind review. They must not exceed 40,000 characters, including notes, bibliography and blank spaces. The evaluation will follow a double blind process.

In order to submit your paper, please register and login to: http://labont.it/estetica/index.php/rivistadiestetica/login

Please note: when asked “What kind of file is this”, select the relevant CFP.