DISCURSIVE CHANGES AND TENDENCIES WITHIN THEORIES OF POSTHUMANISM

Text topic: Human

Text author: Неда Радуловић

Long after the poststructuralist critique of a humanist subject as well as the inherent dichotomies, just when the very notion (subject) was questioned and declared dead – the concept of subjectivity has returned prominently, especially in the context of posthumanism. The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of a contemporary take on subjectivity, as well as to critically engage in the debate around this matter, arguing that the very concept (subject) entails certain principles and conditions that inevitably presupposes subject/object dichotomy. Taking Nomadic Feminist Subjects (Rosi Braidotti) as a case study, we will outline and determine both ways in which this concept distances itself and reformulates the (humanistic) Cartesian subject, as well as the ways in which it remains within the traditional framework. Also, we will chart some more general tendencies under the umbrella term of posthumanism, arguing for a deconstructive, as opposed to a reconstructive approach to it.