Timothy Gutmann

This is the personal scholarship page for Timothy Gutmann. My PhD in religion is from the University of Chicago. I focus on Islamic and East Asian traditions.

My research and teaching also focus on intellectual and social history, epistemology and philosophy of education, the politics of belonging and the minority question, and critical theory and postcolonial thought.

Having taught at the UChicago and elsewhere, I am Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi. I split my time between Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Kenwood, Chicago.

On Liberalism, Trans Rights, and Questions of Identity

June 05, 2024  /  Timothy Gutmann

Here is a recent Sightings article in which I think about the roots of liberal divisions over trans rights in the Enlightenment principle of state neutrality in religious affairs. The debate over trans rights is a very personal one, and it’s not one where I can or want to judge others’ experience from the standpoint of my own. I do confess to a naive surprise at the anger that trans inclusion causes to people who consider themselves very tolerant and sympathetic. However, I hope I can contribute by showing that “classical” liberal traditions give much less basis for contemporary progressives’ ideals than they seem to think. Prospects for more work on the ambiguities of “inclusion” remain to be seen. As always, I welcome your thoughts.

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Background Photo: Aasil K. Ahmad