Subject (formerly Ss) — Consciousness & Action

The Philosophy of Self-Reference, Will, and Freedom

The Second Meaning Element: Subject (formerly Ss)

In the framework of the four meaning elements, the Subject (formerly Ss) represents the self-referential centre of consciousness — the “I” that experiences, decides, and acts. The philosophy of the subject in the reflexive-philosophical sense is not a theory of the isolated individual but an analysis of the structures of self-reference that constitute what it means to be a subject.

Self-Reference as Fundamental Structure

The subject is characterised by the ability to relate to itself. This self-reference is not a supplementary act added to consciousness but rather its constitutive fundamental structure. To be a subject means to exist in a relationship to oneself — to know oneself (however implicitly) in every act as the one performing the act.

This self-reference manifests on different levels:

  • Implicit self-awareness: The non-objectifying, concomitant awareness that accompanies every act of consciousness.
  • Explicit self-reflection: The deliberate turning of consciousness toward its own acts and states.
  • Social self-reference: The awareness of oneself as a person among other persons.
  • Medial self-reference: The awareness of oneself as a participant in a shared horizon of meaning.

Will and Freedom

From the reflexive structure of the subject, Heinrichs derives a specific understanding of will and freedom:

  • Will is not a blind urge or an arbitrary capacity for choice but the self-determination of the subject on the basis of reflexively grasped reasons. The will is the practical side of self-reference.
  • Freedom is not the absence of all determination but the ability for self-determination — for acting from reasons one has made one’s own through reflection. There are levels of freedom corresponding to the levels of reflection: from spontaneous reaction through deliberate choice and communicative agreement to value-based self-commitment.

Unfoldings of the Subject Philosophy

The philosophy of the subject unfolds in several directions:

  • Action Theory: A systematic “periodic system” of action types, derived from the four meaning elements through dialectical subsumption.
  • Ethics: A reflexive ethics that understands moral consciousness as levels of self-reference — from instrumental self-interest through strategic prudence and communicative morality to fundamental value orientation.
  • Cognitive Functions: Perceiving, thinking, feeling, and intuiting as the four fundamental modes of the subject’s relation to reality.

Further Reading

All mentioned works are available from Reflexivity Press.