Journal of Jishou University(Social Sciences Edition) ›› 2023, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 146-153.DOI: 10.13438/j.cnki.jdxb.2023.03.014

• New Age New Youth New Academy:Doctoral Forum • Previous Articles     Next Articles

"Action" and "Self-Constitution":Korsgaard's Constructivist Explanation of Subject

JIAN Boyan   

  1. (Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies,Peking University,Beijing 100871,China)
  • Online:2023-05-01 Published:2023-06-08

Abstract: Through the concept of "action",Korsgaard expounds her very explanation of "self-constitution" and "practical identity".Taking the necessity and inevitability of "choice" as a starting point,she analyzes the role of "action" in building a subject's identity,agency,and integrity.This kind of development and unity between levels of inner structure is what she calls "self-constitution".Therefore,Korsgaard provides a new method worth studying to interpret "self" and subjectivity theory.It brings out the constructive and generative role of practice,tries to provide an empirical content for "self" and subject,corrects the abstraction and shortcomings of cognitivism and naturalism,and avoids the criticism of liberalism in terms of its formalism and hollowness.However,being trapped in a perspective of pure individualism,Korsgaard can't grasp the "constitution" of the "self" in reality,falling into the contradiction between empirical content and abstract form of subjectivity,which leads to a constructive circle of "self" eventually.This is due to the lack of inter-subjective space in her "self-constitution",which makes the generation of her "action"  abstract and it is impossible for us to find out how social relations and social practices affect "self" and its construction.The most fundamental reason is that the "self" Korsgaard refers to is not based on the "real individuals" of historical materialism,and the "action" she refers to is not the material production as well.This brings her a dilemma of pure individualism and weakens the constructive and explanatory power of her theory to a great extent.Human's sociality and social connection come from the socialized form of material production,from which we must consider the internalization of practice inside individual subject,and then discover the construction and enhancement of "self".

Key words: Korsgaard, action, cognition, self, subjectivity, practice

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