Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex

E642048

book gender studies book philosophy book

Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex is a 1993 philosophical and gender theory book by Judith Butler that further develops her concept of gender performativity by examining how material bodies are produced and constrained through discourse and power.

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All labels observed (3)

Label	Occurrences
Bodies That Matter	4
Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex canonical	1
Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex (1993)	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T7109638 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex
Context triple: [Judith Butler, notableWork, Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex]

A. Thalassa: A Theory of Genitality
Thalassa: A Theory of Genitality is a psychoanalytic work by Sándor Ferenczi that explores human sexuality and development through speculative biological and evolutionary perspectives.
B. The History of Sexuality
The History of Sexuality is Michel Foucault’s multi-volume study that analyzes how power, knowledge, and discourse have shaped modern understandings and regulation of sex and sexuality.
C. Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence is Adrienne Rich’s influential feminist essay that critiques heterosexuality as a political institution and argues for the recognition of lesbian existence and resistance.
D. Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory
Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory is a collection of essays by critical theorist Nancy Fraser that examines how power, discourse, and gender intersect in contemporary social and political theory.
E. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center is a foundational feminist text by bell hooks that critiques mainstream feminism’s focus on white, middle-class women and argues for a more inclusive, intersectional movement centered on the experiences of marginalized groups.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex
Target entity description: Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex is a 1993 philosophical and gender theory book by Judith Butler that further develops her concept of gender performativity by examining how material bodies are produced and constrained through discourse and power.

A. Thalassa: A Theory of Genitality
Thalassa: A Theory of Genitality is a psychoanalytic work by Sándor Ferenczi that explores human sexuality and development through speculative biological and evolutionary perspectives.
B. The History of Sexuality
The History of Sexuality is Michel Foucault’s multi-volume study that analyzes how power, knowledge, and discourse have shaped modern understandings and regulation of sex and sexuality.
C. Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence is Adrienne Rich’s influential feminist essay that critiques heterosexuality as a political institution and argues for the recognition of lesbian existence and resistance.
D. Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory
Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory is a collection of essays by critical theorist Nancy Fraser that examines how power, discourse, and gender intersect in contemporary social and political theory.
E. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center is a foundational feminist text by bell hooks that critiques mainstream feminism’s focus on white, middle-class women and argues for a more inclusive, intersectional movement centered on the experiences of marginalized groups.
F. None of above. chosen

Statements (37)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	book ⓘ gender studies book ⓘ philosophy book ⓘ
argues	that material bodies are shaped by regulatory norms ⓘ that sex is not a pre-discursive given ⓘ
author	Judith Butler ⓘ
countryOfOrigin	United States ⓘ linked to: United States of America
developsConcept	gender performativity ⓘ
examines	constraints placed on bodies by power ⓘ how bodies are produced through discourse ⓘ
field	feminist theory ⓘ gender studies ⓘ philosophy ⓘ queer theory ⓘ
follows	Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity ⓘ
genre	feminist theory ⓘ gender theory ⓘ philosophy ⓘ
hasSubject	materiality ⓘ normativity ⓘ performativity ⓘ regulatory power ⓘ sexual difference ⓘ
influencedBy	Jacques Derrida ⓘ Michel Foucault ⓘ psychoanalytic theory ⓘ
language	English ⓘ
mainTopic	discourse and power ⓘ gender performativity ⓘ materiality of the body ⓘ queer theory ⓘ sex and gender ⓘ
notableFor	extending the theory of gender performativity ⓘ influencing contemporary gender and queer theory ⓘ
publicationYear	1993 ⓘ
theoreticalFramework	postmodern feminism ⓘ poststructuralism ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Judith Butler → notableWork → Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex ⓘ

Judith Butler → hasPublicationYearForWork → Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex (1993) ⓘ