The “Subjectivity” chapter of The Theory Toolbox (a book commonly used in ENGL 299) spends time discussing the self and the subject (among other things). According to the explanation offered in the chapter, does a “self” actually exist?
ENGL 365 | Medieval Object Ecologies
Dr. Myra Seaman | Fall 2014
The Theory Toolbox places the notions of the “self” and the “subject” in very clear and distinct boxes. The self is thought of as being “untouched by cultural influences” (36), essentially the unique, unchanging, innate essence of the being. Contrary to this, the “subject” is the being as constructed through factors that act upon them, meaning that the “subject” is an ever-changing entity due to its response to these outside factors.
As the “driver/passenger analogy” displays, no “completely unconstrained ‘self’” can exist (39). Social factors and everything that acts upon a being constructs the identity it takes on. As the name suggests, the being is subjected to these social expectations or ideas that form its identity. No one can escape these expectations/influences and thus no essential “self” can exist. For instance, consider Guigemar as a character. His life and identity are driven by the influences in his life. Had he not been the son of a baron (and male), he would not have been set to a royal court, which shaped his identity as a strong warrior. Had he not had this encounter with the deer and his injury, he would not have ever come into contact with his beloved. The list could go on, but it all suggests that identity and the “subject” are constructed through outside influences, not an essential “self”. Therefore, no, the “self” does not exist.
Elizabeth presents a good understanding of what is presented in Toolbox. The self is essentially subjective, meaning that without the human need or compulsion to define the ‘self’, without our own appropriation, the ‘self’ is more or less an abject representation of what we as humans see as our essence. It is a symbol, or translation, of how we perceive ourselves–through identity, the soul, the mind–in various and numerous ways. Depending on what time period and what region, what society or culture, one is examining, the definition of the ‘self’ tends to shift. Is the self in the body or the mind? Is it in the soul? This mirror stage development in psychological terms, defines the ‘self’ as our ability to recognize ourselves as an individual. By appropriating our ‘selves’ we become the center of the world, in the same way that we feel there are humans and then everything else—rather, by negating the validity or sustainability of the ‘self’ humans are posited in a realm where there is everything else, and then, there are humans.