Bad Faith in Gender Dysphoria

Contemplated Under Aristotlean Actus and Potentia

A Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty

Of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy

School of Arts and Science

University of San Jose – Recoletos

Cebu City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfilment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

BACHELOR OF PHILOSOPHY

By:

Carl O. Cabasag

May 10, 2023

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction..............................................................................................................................3

II. Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................................5

III. Content.....................................................................................................................................6

A. The Sartrean Concept of Bad Faith....................................................................................6

B. Aristotlean Concept of Actus and Potentia........................................................................9

C. Gender Dysphoria.............................................................................................................12

D. Gender Dysphoria and Bad Faith Contemplated on Actus and Potentia.........................14

IV. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................15

V. References..............................................................................................................................16
I. Introduction

There are a lot of discoveries in our time today. For example, Dimitri Mendeleev’s

invention of the periodic table of elements only had 63 known elements before. Yet, over some

decades we now have 118 chemical elements in the periodic table (PeriodicTable, 2023). Before,

only little is known about DNA, but now man is able to discover Genome Editing (Roome,

2018). Before, man only had fire but now he has electricity.

There are undeniably a lot of discoveries, especially scientific ones, that helped man and

his dwelling in the world be better. Yet, there is this one discovery that never escapes human

curiosity. This has been often termed by others as a quest of life, some interlink it with wisdom,

happiness, and many more. This discovery is known to many as not being absolute but always

have stages or certain level of discovery. This discovery is the discovering of oneself.

Discoveries indeed have helped man and his dwelling in the world to be better. However,

being in such state of “better” does not imply smoothness and easiness. The better man’s life is

today, the more it really is intricate. In fact, discoveries open another facet of discovery waiting

to be discovered. In a sense, the more man discovers, the more he is to know.

Such is true to discovering oneself. At a certain point in life, one would question his

existence, his role, his purpose, and his identity. The more he knows about his self, the more

there is to look out for in discovering oneself.

Since intricacies came together with having a better life, the world today is in the state of

enjoyment and despair. Man has opened a lot of doors for everyone to choose with discernment

to where he belongs. Yet, because of the many doors, man finds it hard to identify the door that
is best for him. Sometimes it leads to wrong decisions, uneasiness, or angst. It becomes difficult

to choose. Yet, man really has to decide because it is either stay or thrive.

Most prevalent discovering oneself today is the discovery of different kinds of gender

identity. There is the standpoint of LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,

Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Two-Spirit), where it acknowledges the varied yet colorful

gender identities (Tiersa, 2021). This is a proof that discoveries open another discovery waiting

to be discovered. This is complex. Yet again, discovering oneself is not absolute and this never

escapes human curiosity. Gender Identity is a form of discovering oneself. Moreover,

discovering oneself is a vital expression of looking for one’s purpose in life.

However, just like the periodic table of elements that was inspired from Mendeleev only

had simple 63 known elements, is there a known basic and starting line of the convening

LGBTQIA2S+? The answer for this could be seen on Gender Dysphoria which is a sense of

uneasiness due to a feeling of mismatch between biological sex and gender identity (NHS, 2020).

There can be a lot of information that can be tackled with a sensitive topic like this, but

for this paper, it will simply be a research on Gender dysphoria in the light of Bad Faith

contemplated on Actus and Pontentia.

II. Statement of the Problem

Some of the sensitive topics that this world is dealing are regarding gender equality,

gender rights, and the likes. Yet, ultimately, what constitutes such issues is rooted in the

understanding of oneself or looking for one’s meaning. In understanding one’s self, it cannot be

denied that gender is a constitutive part of it. Thus, it remains of vital importance to ‘discover’ or

re-evaluate also one’s gender as the time now indicates intricacies with regards to gender

sensitive topics. It is very important to take a hold of such topic as the prevalence of this

permeates every individual lives. Moreover, what makes this world progress in such a manner

now is due to both potentialities and actualities that each individuals possess are being applied

and shared to the world. Then, part of knowing one’s potentiality and actuality requires that of

constituent element of understanding one’s gender. Therefore, the paper is outlined as follows:

A. What is Bad Faith?

B. What is

a. Actuality?

b. Potentiality?

C. What is Gender Dysphoria?

D. Where does bad faith lies in Gender Dysphoria?

III. Content

A. The Sartrean Concept of Bad Faith

Humans exist and when they do, they create their own self. There are no guideposts along

the road of life. The human person builds his or her own path to the destiny of his or her own

choosing. The human person is in the midst of the world that silently stares at him or her.

(Landsburg, 2009) Sartre in his Being and Nothingness describe two fundamental types of

beings. These are the en-soi and pour-soi. The en-soi or the being-in-itself signifies the

permeable and dense silent and dead (Landsburg, 2009). It is unconscious hence; they are not

capable of transcending. In fact, they are what they are. For example, chairs, tables, rocks and

many more objects that are non-conscious are identified as being-in-itself. They only get or find

meaning through the pour-soi. The pour-soi or the being-for-itself is the conscious being.

Comparing it to the being-in-itself, the being-for-itself has no fixed nature thus can be deduced

that they are capable of transcendence. To put it in a paradox: the being-for-itself or the human

person is not what he or she is (Landsburg, 2009). The being-for-itself is dynamic and not

passive because it possesses freedom (Dolezal, 2012, p. 9-28). Human person, thus, has his own

choices to make and decisions to decide freely. For instance, he is free to choose his own self on

what he wants. One will choose to be an engineer, a psychologist, or a philosophy major.

Sartre used a term that describes one’s factuality or unchangeable fact. Facticity for him

means that it is a set of facts which are true of someone. These include the facts about the

environment one is in (physically, politically, or socially and others), one’s place of birth,

mother’s maiden name and so on (Elwynn, 2012). Facticity also includes what is happening to

someone (Catalano, 1974) and one’s past decisions and choices that have brought one to where
someone is now (McGulloh, 1994). Another example would be the facticity of the birth of

someone. One is really born and thus there is nothing that he or she can do to change it. It can be

said that there are many aspects of ones being that are not free. Transcendence for Sartre means

to go beyond. It is the ability to take up different attitudes to these facts and attempt to change

some of them (Elwynn, 2012). Facticity and transcendence are related because acts of conscious

reflection or physical behavior are required in order to take up different attitude towards the facts

of facticity, and especially to change some of them (Elwynn, 2012). Facticity and transcendence

are related to one another in terms of the freedom of the human person. The freedom of the

human person must be protected and preserved. One can be in bad faith if he disrupts or in some

way step on to the freedom of others. Bad faith rests on a vacillation between transcendence and

facticity which refuses to recognize either one for what it really is or to synthesize them (Sartre,

1956). He must always be in the way of considering that he is not the only being-for-itself in the

world. He is not alone in the world that has a direction that wants to go to.

Many people occasionally feel that life is absurd or meaningless (Landau. 2012, p. 1-8).

Sartre then introduced an attitude, which he calls bad faith. It is an undesirable psychological

phenomenon, which he thought, was rife amongst humans. Describing bad faith itself it is

distracting oneself from the existential crisis that one constantly face (Landau. 2012, p. 1-8). For

Jasenn Zaejian: “People who identify with their personas are oftentimes practicing what the

existential philosophers and psychologists refer to as bad faith. Bad faith has nothing to do with

religion. Bad faith is not conscious lying. Bad faith is a form of self-deception. Simply put, we

deceive ourselves with intellectual arguments. During interactions, we consequently deceive

others” (Zaejian, 2018).

 The deceiver and the one being deceived is one. The one who is lying knows the truth.

Thus, bad faith is different from the typical lying. Bad faith is in existence by attempting to make

ones transcendencies into facticities and ones facticities into transcendencies. One can be in bad

faith by ignoring ones freedom to move beyond the facts true to one and focusing on. Bad faith

then consists of emphasizing facticity and denying transcendence (Zaejian, 2018). For Jonathan

Webber, bad faith is simply an affirmation of ‘psychological determinism’ by which one

attempts to persuade oneself that one has a fixed nature that is productive of our acts. One

pursues this goal by attempting to ‘identify facticity with transcendence’ (Webber, 2009, 76)

The Most famous description of bad faith comes from Jean-Paul Sartre’s famous work,

that is, Being and Nothingness. He then put it in a situation. He described a waiter working in a

café whose: “…movement is quick and forward, a little too precise, a little too rapid. He comes

towards the patrons with a step that is a little too quick. He bends forward a little too eagerly: his

voice, his eyes express an interest a little too solicitous for the order of the customer” (Sartre,

1956, p. 101). It indicates that the waiter himself is merely convinced by his own self that he is

destined to be a waiter rather than a free human being who can be in any sort of any better

possibility. The waiter is the one who is to be blamed not any reasons of destiny because it is in

his freedom to choose what he wants.

B. Aristotlean Concept of Actus and Potentia

Modern times have this fascination of the word ‘perfect’ and ‘imperfect.’ Common

sayings or phrases are “Nobody is perfect”, “practice makes perfect”, “perfect timing.” What is

being perfect mean or what is imperfection? Why does this few, out of the many phrases, being

used by man?

In the time of Aristotle, he explicated the idea of perfection in the manner of explaining

what is there in man and what can man do? He arrived at a precise explanation after he identified

the different kinds of beings. Beings that could be real, ideal, or logical (Bittle, 1939). These are

specifically expressed in the terms of Act and Potency.

On one hand. act means any entity of whatever kind and nature which performs and

determines a thing in its being (Bittle, 1939). The term act could also be related to the term

power or faculty as well as the operation of that power, for this power is a perfection for the

thing which has it. Simply put, act refers to the current state of a being. For example, a 5-year-

old boy being a 5-year-old himself. A boy that loves to play toy cars and eat bananas. Moreover,

act can be classified as Essence, existence, property, and accident.

1. The act of the essence is the act that determines a man as a man and not as a cat or a

brute (Bittle, 1939).

2. The act of existence is the act perfecting and determining a thing in such a manner

that it is no longer a merely possible being, but present in reality (Bittle, 1939). This

means that before a million years ago man is just a potentiality, but now, man has the

act of existence.
 3. The act of property is the act of perfecting and determining an essence in such a

manner that the entity it gives to the being flows necessarily from its nature, without

being strictly essential (Bittle, 1939). For example, man’s rationality is his essence

and he can never be without a second be not without destroying his nature. The power

of speech, of using instruments, laughing, crying, dancing, are not part of his essence

but flows necessarily from his being a rational animal – his essence.

4. The act of accident is the act perfecting and determining a being in such a manner

that the entity it gives does not flow necessarily from the essence of the being (Bittle,

1939). Such examples are, the complexity of skin, a blonde hair, weight, height, and

etc.

On the other hand, potency is the capacity or aptitude for something (Bittle, 1939). It is

the correlative term to act. Potency is always the capacity or aptitude in reference to something

which a being is not or has not, but which it can be or can receive. Any being which has not

received any kind of perfection yet is said to be in potency. It can be an objective potency or

subjective potency. Subjective potency has two distinctions which is receptive subjective potency

and operative subjective potency.

1. Objective potency is the capacity of non-existence to come into existence (Bittle,

1939). A being has the ‘capacity for existence,’ For example, a married couple plans

to procreate and name their baby as Josh. Josh has the objective potency to come into

existence in the world.

2. Subjective potency or real potency is the capacity of something existing for an act

(Bittle, 1939). This potentiality could be a special power of receiving an act from
another being or a special power of communicating an act to another. Hence, the

distinction of receptive and operative.

a. Receptive subjective potency is the capacity for receiving an act (Bittle, 1939).

For example, a mind of a child has that capacity of receiving knowledge from

the teachings of his/her parents. A receptive potency is considered as natural

when it is a capacity for receiving an act in virtue of its natural powers. It is

considered as obediential receptive potency when it is a capacity of receiving

an act which transcends its natural faculties. Thus, a cadaver cannot make

itself come to life again but it can receive a second life from God if He wills it

so.

b. Operative subjective potency is the capacity for doing something (Bittle,

1939). It is the power of a thing to bring forth some act. It can be supernatural

or natural. It is supernatural when it is the power to produce effects which

transcend the capabilities of physical nature. An example would be the

miracles done by Jesus. It is natural when effects produced flows from the

essence of a being and in accordance with the laws of nature.

C. Gender Dysphoria

Part of the natural classification of man is that either he is male or female. This

classification could either be biological or a preferable gender identity. A person’s biological sex

usually refers to their status as male, female, or even intersex depending on their chromosomes,

reproductive organs, and other characteristics (Schnebly, 2022). On the other hand, gender

identity refers to one’s sense of “who I am” and how one see and describe his/herself. One of the

famous memes to encapsulate gender identity is “Lalaki ako! lalaki ako, lalaki ako!”

Gender dysphoria, to properly define, is a term that defines a mismatch on one’s

biological sex and gender identity. There is that feeling of unease due to such mismatch. In other

words, there that incongruence of what is biological and what one prefers to be. In addition, there

are certain signs of gender dyshphoric state:

1. Incongruence between one's gender identity and gender role. This is the most basic

and the essential aspect of gender dysphoria. A misalignment of biological sex and

gender identity (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

2. A strong desire to be rid of one's primary and/or secondary sex characteristics.

Primary sex characteristic is the development of the vagina and the penis. Secondary

sex characteristic is the development such as widening of hips, Adam’s apple, and

pubic hair. This specific sign is where an individual does not want what is he/she has

currently especially when times the sex characteristics starts to develop (American

Psychiatric Association, 1994).

3. A strong desire for the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other

gender. This third sign complements the second sign as to the dislike of what sex
 characteristic one biologically has. Due to the dislike, one would desire readily the

sex characteristic opposite that of his/her (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

4. A strong desire to be of the other gender. This indicates the desire to be that of

opposite gender. For example, the male would want to become a female and vice

versa (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

5. A strong desire to be treated as the other gender. This complements the fourth sign as

to one would want to be that of opposite sex other than his/her own and wants to be

treated as how that opposite sex is usually treated. For example, a male wants to

become a female and wants to be treated how ladies are usually treated (American

Psychiatric Association, 1994).

6. A strong conviction that has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender.

This indicates the inner feeling, resultive of the desires and aspiration of one who

believes that he/she has the feelings that of opposite gender other than his own. For

example, a female has strong convictions that what attracts her sexually are not male

but rather females (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

These signs of gender dysphoria are not absolute but are to some extent certain according to

DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) of 1994.

D. Gender Dysphoria and Bad Faith Contemplated on Actus and Potentia

Gender Dysphoria is the mismatch between biological sex and gender identity. Bad faith

is the mismatch between facticity and transcendence (NHS, 2020). Bad faith is simply

inauthenticity (Zaejian, 2018). Inauthenticity is the result of focusing only one, either facticity or

transcendence (Sartre, 1956). In relation to gender dysphoria. It can be seen that biological sex is

a form of facticity. While gender identity is going beyond to that which is biological, hence,

transcendence. Simply put, biological sex is equivalent to facticity, and gender identity is

equivalent to gender identity.

There is bad faith in gender dysphoria if one solely focusses on his/her biological sex and

not affirm what his gender identity is. One key factor that flows from gender identity are the

potentialities and acts attached to it. One falls into bad faith if he/she would just say that his/her

facticity is that of a male or female but not affirm it by his gender identity. For example, one

knows that his facticity is male but not affirm his gender identity because of his acts. There is

that inconsistency and mismatch that would rise. Moreover, if one solely rely on his/her capacity

for transcendence and believe that the biological sex plays no role in determining one’s gender

identity, one would fall into bad faith. This is so because, biological sex is like a primary

substance that is also a sort of foundation before one truly transcends and affirm one’s gender

identity. There is danger in bad faith in relation to gender dysphoria because it will mar the

potentialities and will affect one’s actuality.

In order to have harmony and authenticity, one must have considered his/her facticity and

the capacity for transcendence. In order to release oneself from a gender dysphoric state and to

be able to decide properly on one’s condition with gender understanding, one must be authentic

in his/her choosing. There is a proper potentiality and actuality for everyone. In order to really
realize such, one must consider his/her biological sex and gender identity. In addition to bad

faith, it is a form of self-deception, where one limits one’s capacity to rise above one’s current

condition. To be a male or female, there are potentialities and actualities attached to it. Whatever

one may choose, there is always that actus and potentia but there is, in principle, the best kind of

potentiality and actuality to each individual.

IV. Conclusion

Looking for the meaning of life is a very human quest or journey. Each individual has

their own potentialities and actualities. Some can see it some have not yet. Each differs in this

respect but to where this is substantiated goes back to certain principles. To be able to discover

the meaning of life, there is a need to understand oneself. To understand oneself, gender is a

constitutive part of it as potentialities and actualities attached to such are different. Biological sex

and gender identity are different but not individual concepts. In order to be authentic or avoid

bad faith, one must align or fix the mismatch (if there is) between biological sex and gender

identity.

There is nothing better in life than knowing one’s potentiality and actuality. Basic as it

may, they are foundations in becoming a substance of meaning to which actions that flows are

helpful in general to the order of world. To be more specific, knowing oneself is an age-old

philosophy but an everyday quest for everyone. Knowing oneself is essential in living in the

world together with other beings.

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Catalano, J. S. A. 1974. A Commentary on Jean Paul Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness'.

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Dolezal, Luna. "Reconsidering the Look in Sartre's Being and Nothingness." Sartre

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Elwynn, Bejnamin K. 2012. "Multiplicity: A New Reading of Sartrean Bad Fatih."

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Landau, Iddo. "Foundationlessness Freedom and Meaningless of life in Sartre's

Landsburg, Steven. The Big Questions. NewyorkHauper , 2009.

McGulloh, G. 1994. Using Sartre . London: Routledge.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. 1956. Being and Nothingness. Translated by Hazel E. Barnes. New

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Webber, Jonathan. The Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre. Oxon: Routledge, 2009.

Zaejian, Jasenn. Relationships, Anxiety, Depression, and Bad Faith. April 14, 2014 .

https://www.saybrook.edu/blog/2014/04/14/04-14-14/ (accessed April 20, 2018).