One - This Sex Which Is Not

The book is a collection of essays that deconstructs the male-dominated history of Western philosophy and psychoanalysis. Irigaray argues that Western culture is "monosexual," meaning it recognizes only one sex—the male—and defines woman not as her own distinct entity, but merely as a "negative" or a lack of the male.

Female sexuality is viewed as an incomplete version of male sexuality.

Modern queer and trans theorists sometimes find her strict binary focus on male and female anatomy to be restrictive and exclusionary. This Sex Which Is Not One

(originally published in French as Ce sexe qui n'en est pas un in 1977) is a foundational text in French feminist theory and continental philosophy written by psychoanalyst and philosopher Luce Irigaray.

It inspired a generation of writers to practice écriture féminine (feminine writing). Common Criticisms The book is a collection of essays that

In one of the book's most famous chapters, Irigaray applies Marxist theory to gender relations. She argues that patriarchal society is based on the exchange of women between men.

This Sex Which Is Not One remains a highly influential yet fiercely debated text in feminist theory. Why It Matters Modern queer and trans theorists sometimes find her

This suggests that female autoeroticism and identity are inherently plural, continuous, and self-sufficient, rather than a void waiting to be filled. The Traffic in Women