Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Before European invaders sought to control every inch of Earth's territory, human beings organised themselves in radically different ways throughout the world. Entire cultures and knowledges were put to the sword, alongside millions of human bodies. This deliberate attack on the cultures and ideologies with which communities understood their histories, bodies, roles and people was part of what made colonialism such a successful and enduring project. And it lives on today, in our very minds, when we uncritically accept the racial and gender categories which stem from that colonial conquest, argues Feminist philosopher, Jules Falquet.
We discuss the reality—or not—of gender differences, the history of racial categorisation, and the production of children through the lens of capitalist logic, with Jules insisting that none of these particular ways of thinking or being are "natural" but rather learned processes which prevent us from escaping the shackles of our colonial history. We do not always agree on the finer details, but certainly the resounding message in this episode is that our perception of absolute differences between people and our more-than-human kin are a critical component in the volume of senseless violence we live through today.
🔴 Jules' website: julesfalquet.com
🌎 Support Planet: Critical: patreon.com/planetcritical
🌎 Subscribe: planetcritical.com
🌎 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/racheldonald.bsky.social
Before European invaders sought to control every inch of Earth's territory, human beings organised themselves in radically different ways throughout the world. Entire cultures and knowledges were put to the sword, alongside millions of human bodies. This deliberate attack on the cultures and ideologies with which communities understood their histories, bodies, roles and people was part of what made colonialism such a successful and enduring project. And it lives on today, in our very minds, when we uncritically accept the racial and gender categories which stem from that colonial conquest, argues Feminist philosopher, Jules Falquet.
We discuss the reality—or not—of gender differences, the history of racial categorisation, and the production of children through the lens of capitalist logic, with Jules insisting that none of these particular ways of thinking or being are "natural" but rather learned processes which prevent us from escaping the shackles of our colonial history. We do not always agree on the finer details, but certainly the resounding message in this episode is that our perception of absolute differences between people and our more-than-human kin are a critical component in the volume of senseless violence we live through today.
🔴 Jules' website: julesfalquet.com
🌎 Support Planet: Critical: patreon.com/planetcritical
🌎 Subscribe: planetcritical.com
🌎 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/racheldonald.bsky.social
