UDC 141.319

SUBJECTIVITY AS AN INTERACTION OF THE MATERIAL AND THE DISCURSIVE IN THE LENS OF THE IDEAS OF KAREN BARAD AND BRUNO LATOUR Subjectivity as an interaction of the material and the discursive in the lens of the ideas of Karen Barad and Bruno Latour

Published in Journal of Philosophical Research · Volume 12, Issue 3, 2026 · Pages 60–67 · Rubric: The history of philosophy
Received: 19.10.2026 Accepted: 19.10.2026 Published: 19.10.2026
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This article examines the concepts of Karen Barad and Bruno Latour in the context of understanding subjectivity, emphasizing their relationship to contemporary developments in the natural sciences. The aim of the study is to analyze how the “microphysical” model of these philosophers can complement traditional poststructuralist approaches, which often ignore material aspects. The methodology includes a comparative analysis and interpretation of Barad's ideas on the dynamism of things and intra-activity, as well as Latour's network theory emphasizing the interconnection of human and non-human actants. The scientific novelty of the paper lies in the fact that the concepts under consideration offer a new perspective on causality, understood not as linear but as contingent, which allows for a deeper understanding of the processes of subjectivation. The main findings emphasize that subjectivity is constituted through complex interactions of discursive and material elements. The article thus demonstrates how philosophy, by integrating scientific advances and expanding notions of agency and causality, can enrich the understanding of human experience, offering a more complex and multifaceted picture of subjectivity in the contemporary world.
subjectivation, subject, reflexion, personality, modern philosophy, actor-network theory, agency, agent realism, postnonclassical science, Karen Barad, Bruno Latour
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