The Retreat of the Subject: A History of Subjectivity from Montaigne to Barthes

Author: Birge
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The discourse on the death of the subject, if it is regarded as a characteristic of our time rather than a passing trend, would evoke unease. Birge argues that one practical and effective way to address this unease is to focus on the history of the subject. Therefore, in this book, Birge traces the transformation of the subject during the period from Montaigne to Roland Barthes in France. From Descartes' Discourse on the Method to Heidegger's Being and Time, the subject has been taken for granted as the point of departure for discussion. However, this unthinking acceptance has gradually diminished since modernity, and the framework through which humans design their future seems to have been shaken, while a new framework has yet to emerge.