The transgender experience and the limits of physiological continuity theories
Croatian Journal of Philosophy July 8, 2026 Samuel Kahn
A philosophical tension exists between physiological continuity theories of personal identity and a common framing of transgender experience. Physiological continuity theories hold that a person persists over time due to bodily or brain continuity. A standard account of transgender identity emphasizes that a person's gender identity can differ from their assigned sex at birth, which seems to challenge the idea that bodily continuity alone defines who one is. The paper outlines this conflict and proposes two alternative resolutions: either revise the framing of transgender experience or modify the physiological continuity theory. Both approaches face difficulties, but each can resolve the tension without contradiction.