The Philosophy Department is pleased to announce that Bru Perron, MA student in Philosophy, has been awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master's (CGS-M) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and a Master's Research Scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC).
Bru's research project focuses on nonbinary gender identities. Specifically, it offers an understanding of nonbinary gender identities that places the act of self-determination at the center. The project proposes a theoretical model capable of accounting for the particularities of nonbinary gender identities while avoiding the pitfalls of previous models. To do so, Wittgenstein's private language argument will be mobilized to defend the thesis that the act of self-determination cannot take its meaning from the private sensations of the person expressing it. Rather, self-determination will be understood as a purely performative first-person testimony in the Austinian sense.
CGS-M and FRQSC Master's scholarships are highly competitive, prestigious awards. This success is a testament to the strengths of the Philosophy Department's graduate students and their high quality work. Congratulations, Bru!