Systems composed of two parts or states, particularly in computing where information is represented using only two digits (0 and 1).
From Latin binarius meaning 'consisting of two,' from bini meaning 'two by two.' The computing sense developed in the mid-20th century with digital technology, extending the mathematical concept to information processing.
Every piece of digital information you interact with - from this text to streaming videos - is ultimately just vast sequences of 1s and 0s. What's remarkable is that binary's simplicity makes it incredibly reliable; electronic circuits can easily distinguish between 'on' and 'off' states without confusion.
Binary thinking has historically been weaponized to enforce gender hierarchy—particularly the sex/gender binary that naturalized male/female categorization and erased intersex and non-binary people. Computer science and philosophy inherited this dualism.
When discussing categorical systems, acknowledge that binaries are often analytical tools, not natural laws. Recognize that gender, in particular, is not reducible to two categories and that binary frameworks exclude actual human variation.
["dualistic frameworks","two-category systems","spectrum-based categorization"]
Intersex people and gender-non-conforming individuals have long challenged the presumed naturalness of sexual/gender binaries; their existence proves binaries are insufficient.
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