Subjectivity and its crisis

Abstract

Neither Critical Theory nor western Marxism ever understood crises as being solely concerned with the economy. Both saw them rather as necessarily involving consciousness and subjectivity as well. How does Critical Theory conceptualize economy and subjectivity as inseparable? This is the crucial question. Critical Theory claims, indeed, that it shows the inner connection between the economy and subjectivity. In its first generation, at any rate (Jay, 1996), Critical Theory meant to show that the economy is a constitutive part of subjectivity, while also being its blind spot; or even that the economy is its blind spot because it is essentially constructive of subjectivity. The article will specify the connection between the economy and subjectivity and then will indicate the blind spot. While Critical Theory does not fully pinpoint the blind spot in this connection, by tracing the discussion that followed its first generation we may better find out what this blind spot might be.

The Conditions of Critical Knowledge on Capitalism or

“…The fundamentals of the economy lead us to what is non-economic in the heart of the economy itself. And despite the uniqueness of his approach, Henry's work represents the part of the critical tradition that addresses the problem of the constitution 48 of objectivity and (crisis-ridden) subjectivity in capitalism. Capitalism enables the political-economic constitution of both subjectivity and objectivity.…”

Philosophy and the study of capitalism

“…The beginning of answers to questions like these is hinted at in work associated with the Neue Marx-Lektüre, the “unofficial second generation of Critical Theory,” (Engster 2016, 87). This mostly German-language approach to Marx’s works was developed above all by students of Adorno’s, but it has had no impact in philosophy, and far too little in sociology or English-language critical theory (although that is slowly changing).…”

“…Money, as mediator of subjectivity, is both an object and a subject—it is what Marx called an automatic subject. So, for Engster, subjective rationality, “the necessities of thinking”, comes from money (Engster 2016, 90-91). 15…”