The Question of Subject in Descartes and Foucault

Abstract

It is important to make clear the question of subjectivity, how the Modern zeitgeist imposes "subject" idea and around which thinkers the important breaking points that appear in the historical adventure of subjectivity is formed. Since the metaphysical understanding of modernity is based on subjectivity, the essence of human existence becomes science, and the issue of truth evolves into the consciousness of consciousness to know first "itself" and then other existing ones. This work will examine the "subject" issue, which has a wide scope, based on Descartes and Foucault. Thus, it will be analyzed how modern subject thought transformed with Descartes and how it is related to Foucault's criticism of the subject. The study reveals the connections of the humanist belief in the subject on the lines of Descartes and Foucault. The article will present a comparison of Descartes' and Foucault's theory of the subject after a brief review of how subjectivity has transformed.