Subjectivity, in specific philosophical contexts such as the philosophy of organism, is understood not as a fixed state but as something residing within the dynamic process of an entity's emergence and experience.
Understanding the Nature of Subjectivity
Based on the provided reference, subjectivity is tied to the very formation and experience of individual entities.
The Subject as an Emerging Entity
The reference defines a subject as:
- an individual or an actual entity that progressively emerges through feelings and the attainment of satisfactions.
This definition suggests that subjectivity is located within the entity as it comes into being and develops. It is not an inherent, static quality but one that arises from the entity's active engagement with its environment and internal states.
The Process of Emergence
The emergence of this subject, and thus subjectivity, involves two key components:
- Feelings: These are the fundamental modes of experience through which the entity interacts with and apprehends aspects of the world and its own states.
- Attainment of Satisfactions: This refers to the culmination or integration of these feelings into a determinate outcome, contributing to the unique character and completion of the emerging entity.
Subjectivity is found within this continuous process of feeling and moving towards satisfaction.
The "Superject" in Whitehead's Philosophy
The reference specifically points to the philosophy of organism, notably associated with A. N. Whitehead. In this framework:
- The entity that emerges through this process is often termed a superject.
- Using "superject" rather than the traditional "subject" highlights that the entity is the product or result of its process of becoming, rather than a pre-existing observer.
- Therefore, subjectivity, in this view, is situated in the emergent reality of the superject itself. The entity is its subjective process of becoming.
In essence, within this philosophical perspective, subjectivity resides in the active, emergent life of an individual or actual entity as it constitutes itself through feelings and the attainment of satisfactions, acting as a superject emerging from the world.
