Where’s the subject?

Reflections on materialism and dialectics

Abstract

We seek an analysis of the developments surrounding the issue of the subject in light of various critiques that have emerged in the post-structuralist years and in the face of the rise of neoliberalism as the dominant ideology worldwide. Relegated as a metaphysical question of modernity or as a residue of positivist scientism, the category of the subject has notably been a target of deconstruction, or, when not, outright rejection. Grounded in a dual inquiry into its possible relevance for current psychological and philosophical thought, as well as the potential actors of social transformation in the face of the changes imposed by late capitalism on the proletariat category, through the prospectives of Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek, we attempt to move away from the linguistic trend that currently guides a significant portion of analyses on the subject and subjective processes. Our aim is to emphasize the importance of a theory of truths that renews the ontological foundations of thought and the perspective on dialectical materialism. A theory of the subject anchored in a concept of truth thus proves to be a potential avenue for rethinking man as a creator.