Wiley-Blackwell Self and Subjectivity (Blackwell Readings in Continental Philosophy)

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. Review "...promises to establish [itself] as a key reference text, an invaluable aid for teachers as much as students in the fields of philosophy, social and political sciences, literary and cultural studies." The Year′s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Vol.14, 2006 Self and Subjectivity is a superb reader. Kim Atkins s gem–like introductions to each reading, together with the generosity and diversity of her selections, will make this an invaluable text for teachers across a range of disciplines. J. M. Bernstein, New School for Social Research Atkins s imaginative selection of texts from both analytic and continental thinkers along with cogent samples of feminist, psychoanalytic, and postmodern theories of selfhood places this work at the cutting edge of contemporary scholarship. Richard Kearney, Boston College The extracts are wide–ranging and well–chosen; and Atkins s commentaries on her selections are informative, clear, and concise. This will be an extremely useful collection for both students and teachers of philosophy. Christopher Cordner, University of Melbourne From the Back Cover 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. About the Author Kim Atkins is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Tasmania, Australia. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Applied Philosophy, Philosophy Today, and The International Journal of Philosophical Studies.