Thomas Seay <entheogens at yahoo.com>: 'James, would you please define "evacuation of historical subjectivity"?'
I mean the sociological effects of the defeat of the working class movement.
My thesis is that the working class movement made up the most promising expression of historical subjectivity (or agency, will etc.) in recent times. Its effective and subsequent disaggregation leaves humanity without any well-defined subjective factor at work - a unique situation for modern society. My argument is that the defeat of the working class movement is not restricted in its impact to the immediate social class it was based upon, but gives rise to a generalised crisis of subjectivity.
This is theorised in a variety of ways as the death of the subject (Althusser), post-modernity, the end of history, the posthuman and so on. These latter, in my argument, being expressions of the central problem.
The thesis is expanded in my book The Death of the Subject Explained, published by Hallam University Press. -- James Heartfield The 'Death of the Subject' Explained is available at GBP11.00, plus GBP1.00 p&p from Publications, audacity.org, 8 College Close, Hackney, London, E9 6ER. Make cheques payable to 'Audacity Ltd'