On the assumption of self-reflective subjectivity

Bouzanis, Christoforos

Abstract

Contemporary social theory has consistently emphasized habitual action, rule-following, and role-performing as key aspects of social life, yet the challenge remains of combining these aspects with the omnipresent phenomenon of self-reflective conduct. This article attempts to tackle this challenge by proposing useful distinctions that can facilitate further interdisciplinary research on self-reflection. To this end, I argue that we need a more sophisticated set of distinctions and categories in our understanding of habitual action. The analysis casts light on the idea that our contemporary social theories of self-reflection are not consistent with everyday notions of agential knowledgeability and accountability, and this conclusion indicates the need to reconceptualize discourse and subjectivity in non-eliminative terms. Ultimately, the assumption of self-reflective subjectivity turns out to be a theoretical necessity for the conceptualization of discursive participation and democratic choice.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Sep 1, 2021
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 21, 2022
• Journal: History of the Human Sciences
• Print ISSN: 0952-6951
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-720X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 167-193
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09526951211032895
• Keywords: History and Philosophy of Science; History, human agency, intentionality, self-reflection, social theory, subjectivity
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9996230
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09526951211032895