Self and Subjectivity

Self and Subjectivity is a collection of seminal essays with commentary that traces the development of conceptions of "self" and "subjectivity" in European and Anglo-American philosophical traditions, including feminist scholarship, from Descartes to the present. It covers the rise of the philosophy of the subject, its crisis in postmodernity, and the re-articulation of selfhood, agency, and personal identity in very recent times. The book provides a comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality text that introduces the reader to various conceptions of self and subjectivity in relation to their historical, ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical contexts. The volume features essays by Descartes, Hume, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, Foucault, Judith Butler, Bernard Williams, Derek Parfit, and many others.

Kim Atkins is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Tasmania, Australia.