Rene Magritte once painted a depiction of a pipe under which he wrote, “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” which means “This is not a pipe.”
Well, that seems quite the odd statement to some as, after all, it is clearly a pipe. Yet, when asked about it, Magritte stated and it is not a pipe and if one thinks that it is, they can attempt to fill it with tobacco.
At some time between his late 40s and early 50s, after having been married to a woman for 23 years and having fathered seven children, Paul Wolscht decided that he is not a grown man, a male, between 40-50 but that he is a 6-year-old girl whose name is not Paul but Stefonknee (sic.).
Now, what if someone were to say that of course the Paul is a 6-year-old girl because he self-identifies as such? Well, one may offer a very Rene Magritte sort of answer and point out that if you think that Paul is a 6-year-old girl then just look: he is a big, tall, heavy set, man who, by the way, drives a snow plow for a living (which a 6-year-old girl could not do physically not legally).
Rene Magritte’s point has to do with reality, with truth, with absolutes and perhaps something revolving around the concept known as Platonic forms. You see, a painting of a pipe is just that: a painting of a pipe. A pipe itself is just that: a pipe itself.
The painting is a representation, a depiction, a simile and not the thing itself. For example, if 10 artists view the same pipe and depict it via their media of expertize some may do as Magritte did and basically paint a still-life: a realistic representation. Yet, another painter may take an abstract view and paint the pipe melting ala Salvador Dali style. Some may depict it in a cubist of pointillist manner. Yet others could sculpt it out of clay or wire, etc., etc., etc.
The depiction can vary radically, perhaps even such an abstract piece of art that one cannot even tell anymore that the original object was a pipe. Yet, the original pipe would remain: it is that which it is and it is so absolutely.
Now, Paul Wolscht situation is similar in that he can self-identify as a six year old but he is not, he can self-identify as a girl/female but he is not, he can pretend all he wants but it is just that: a grown man playing games.
In fact, Paul could undergo the radical reconstructive surgery which is all the rage now a days and take hardcore pharmaceuticals which are meant to force the body from doing that which is natural and normal to it. And yet, he would still be what he is, a grown man, and he would be a grown man undergoing such radical allegedly transformative “therapies” due to the very fact that he is a grown man. In fact, there is no known procedure whereby he can actually go from being 40-50 years old to being 6 years old.
And that brings me to my last point. You see some years ago as the science of genetic progressed high hopes were placed on finding the gay gene. This was seen by some as the hopes for finding a genetic reason for homosexuality and therefore scientific backing for its acceptance, approval, endorsement, etc.
Yet, this has failed: it has failed on various levels such as logically and bio-logically.
It is fascinating that many on the socio-political left falsely claim that many on the socio-political right are “anti-science.” However, what has happened is that the socio-political left has given up on science within this context and has decided to simply declare that reality, facts and truth, is not based on reality, facts and truth but on feelings: the unreliable, tentative feelings de jour.
Thus, it used to be that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims and flies like a duck then it is a duck.
Yet, now it is that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims and flies like a duck then it is whatever it self identifies as being.
Paul can undergo all of the surgery he wants to become transsexual or transgender but that only proves that surgeons modified his body to look differently. Someone could take apart a pipe and re-structure it so that it looks different and maybe even has a new purpose but it is ontologically, originally and normally still a pipe—augmented yet still that which it is by nature.
“Ceci n’est pas une pipe” and “Ceci n’est pas une fillette de six ans” not a pipe and not a six year old girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A plea: I have to pay for server usage and have made all content on this website free and always will. I support my family on one income and do research, writing, videos, etc. as a hobby. If you can even spare $1.00 as a donation, please do so: it may not seem like much but if each person reading this would do so, even every now and then, it would add up and really, really help. Here is my donate/paypal page.
Due to robo-spaming, I had to close the comment sections. However, you can comment on my Facebook page and/or on my Google+ page. You can also use the “Share / Save” button below this post.