The topic of subjectivity in psychology: Contradictions, paths and new alternatives

Abstract

This paper draws a picture of how topics related to subjectivity have appeared in different psychological theories, such as psychoanalysis, Gestalt and post‐structuralist approaches, discussing in depth a specific proposition from a cultural‐historical standpoint. I argue that, in most of these theories, subjectivity has been used to refer to specific processes and phenomena without advancing a more general theory about it. The way in which subjectivity was treated within the Cartesian/Enlightenment tradition, taken together with the individualistic tradition of psychology, led critical psychological theories to reject the concept. In this way, such critical theories have omitted the heuristic value of subjectivity to study processes that can neither be exhausted by language, nor by discourse. A new proposal of subjectivity is highlighted, based on the cultural‐historical tradition in psychology. From this perspective, subjectivity is defined by units of emotions and symbolical processes generated throughout human experience. On the basis of such definition, I discuss how institutionalized orders can be subverted by subjective productions that represent new social pathways. Far from being a remnant of Modernity, in this way subjectivity is defined as a human production, capable of transcending the apparent objective limits of human existence.

Subjectivity in debate: Some reconstructed philosophical premises to advance its discussion in psychology

“…The study of subjectivity, according to this theoretical proposal, not only represents a new theoretical definition, but it also implies a new epistemology, “Qualitative Epistemology”, on which a constructive‐interpretative methodological proposal is based (González Rey, , , , ; González Rey & Mitjáns, , ). Theory, as such, provides a general representation of subjectivity, but nothing can be said a priori on concrete subjective senses and subjective configurations; these are concepts that should be constructed in research and professional practice.…”

“…The theoretical definition of subjectivity as used in this paper (González Rey, , , , 2015, , , ; González Rey & Mitjáns Martínez, ; Mitjáns Martínez & González Rey, ) implies a turn toward ontology and epistemology in both philosophy and psychology. Nonetheless, this turn does not appear to treat them as two separated and static topics but, on the contrary, as the integration of theory, epistemology and methodology in research and practice (González Rey & Mitjáns Martínez, ).…”

“…Despite the growing consciousness of Soviet psychologists about the need to explain the specific psychological nature of human beings, in fact three important theoretical premises for advancing this goal were absent in that psychology: the topic of the symbolic in its broader meaning, the topic of communication, and a wide comprehension of social reality and of culture (Gonzalez Rey, , , ).…”

“…In prior works we introduced, discussed and advanced this proposal on subjectivity in terms of its theoretical, epistemological and methodological challenges (González Rey, , , , , ; González Rey & Mitjáns Martínez, , ). New approaches to professional practices in different areas have also been discussed and proposed (González Rey, ; González Rey, Goulart, & Bezerra, ; González Rey, Mitjáns and Bezerra, ; Mitjáns Martínez & González Rey, ; Goulart & González Rey, ).…”

JANUARY — Subjectivity, psychology and the Cuban Revolution

“…Subjectivity was not in the imagination of the (González Rey, 2011, 2014aYasnitsky, 2009: Zavershneva, 2015. I have also emphasized the behavioral stage of Vygotsky's work (Gonzalez Rey, 2018;González Rey, 2017).…”