A New Understanding of the Human Self: Li Zehou's "Subjectality"

Li Zehou's concept of subjectality (zhutixing) is a central component of his philosophical system. In explaining this concept, Li has expanded the concept of the human Self in post-revolutionary modernity. This article explores the foundations of this concept, its significance in contemporary Chinese theory, and shows that it represents a call for a new kind of humanism. Using a multidimensional comparative approach, it will illustrate how Li's concept of subjectality has the potential to fill the currently prevailing "value vacuum" and transform postmodern alienation into a truly fulfilling "human condition" that can be actively realized and practiced in a free society of autonomous individuals.