Non- binary genius: Intellectual hermaphroditism and androgyny in Spain (1892-1939)

Project Information

nonbinarygenius

Grant agreement ID: 101106744

DOI

10.3030/101106744

Project closed

EC signature date 18 July 2023

Start date 1 March 2024

End date 28 February 2026

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 165 312,96

Coordinated by

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - nonbinarygenius (Non- binary genius: Intellectual hermaphroditism and androgyny in Spain (1892-1939))

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2026-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This project examined the historical construction of genius and its relation to gender, in particular non-binary definitions of gender, between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a focus on Spain and its role within the European network of scientific circulation. It addressed how psychological and medical discourses incorporated gendered assumptions into the definition of intellectual ability, and how categories such as intellectual androgyny and hermaphroditism were used to explain both individual exceptionality and broader social hierarchies.
The main objective was to analyse the gendered dimension of psychological knowledge by reconstructing the epistemic frameworks through which intelligence and genius were defined. In doing so, the project sought to contribute to the historiography of psychology and gender studies by demonstrating that these categories were not neutral, but historically situated and shaped by broader cultural and epistemic values. The project concludes that psychological theories of intellectual hierarchy relied on a persistent tension: while they often reinforced exclusionary views about women’s intellectual inferiority, they also introduced figures, such as the androgynous or hermaphroditic subjects, that destabilised binary models of gender difference that assumed masculine mental superiority. These figures operated as conceptual tools that both challenged and reconfigured dominant assumptions about gender, intelligence, and merit.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Nonbinarygenius examined scientific and cultural discourse to identify the use of nonbinary categories of gender to explain genius and intellectual development. The first stage of the project consisted of identifying, collecting, and systematising a corpus of scientific publications, and personal notes and correspondence produced between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These materials were organised and hierarchised. The second stage involved an interpretative analysis of this corpus, focusing on the gendered dimension of psychological categories. Particular attention was paid to how notions of masculinity, femininity, and sexual ambiguity informed scientific explanations of intellectual ability. This analysis made it possible to identify recurring explanatory patterns as well as internal tensions within the sources, especially regarding the use of figures such as the androgynous or hermaphroditic subject. One of the main achievements of the project has been to show that these figures played a central role in articulating scientific interpretations of genius and intellectual hierarchy.
Regarding dissemination and exploitation, the results of the project have been presented at national and international conferences and seminars. These presentations have addressed different aspects of the project, including the relationship between genius and gender difference, and have contributed to refining its analytical approach. An international workshop has been organised to strengthen scientific collaboration and discuss central issues in the history of genius and the child prodigy debate. In addition, the integration of research findings into undergraduate and postgraduate teaching has functioned as a key mechanism for knowledge transfer. Several publications are currently in preparation, based on the materials and analyses developed during the project.
Overall, the work performed has resulted in the consolidation of a coherent analytical framework, the systematisation of a significant corpus of sources, and the development of original interpretations regarding the relationship between gender and the construction of psychological knowledge.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results of the project contribute to the existing historiography by providing a systematic analysis of the role of gender ambiguity in the construction of psychological categories of intelligence and genius. While previous research has examined gender bias in science, this project places particular emphasis on how figures such as androgyny and hermaphroditism were used within scientific explanations. Rather than treating them as marginal or anomalous, the analysis shows that they played a constitutive role in shaping psychological interpretations of intellectual hierarchy. This perspective allows for a more precise understanding of how gender operated within knowledge production as a site of conceptual tension and not only as a source of exclusion.
The project moved beyond existing scholarship in three ways. In Spain, "genius" was less prevalent than elsewhere in Europe: the figure of the intellectual was used more frequently, it was still shaped by biological predisposition and gender ambiguity but understood primarily through social influence. Gender operated as a persistent organising principle: women of exceptional ability were conceptualised as masculinised. Finally, characteristics otherwise constructed as deviant such as non-normative sexual orientation, suspected infertility, or the rejection of marriage, were reframed as tolerable under the category of genius, which suspended normative expectations around gender and sexuality.
The project also contributes to current discussions on gender by discussing assumptions of binarism, intellectual ability, and merit within a historical context rather than being neutral or universal categories. By reconstructing the epistemic contexts in which these ideas were formulated, the research supports a critical reassessment of the relationship between scientific knowledge, authority, and social hierarchy.
These findings are relevant for contemporary debates in education, science policy, and gender equality initiatives, as they provide historically grounded evidence of how scientific frameworks have contributed to shaping and legitimising gendered inequalities. By emphasising the contingency of these frameworks, the project offers analytical tools for reconsidering present-day assumptions about merit, ability, and expertise in more inclusive terms

Rebis Figure. Androgyne with Goats’ Heads. symbol of Alchemical Wedding