A collection of essays by theorists in culture and politics. Experts from a variety of fields re-examine the origins of the subject as understood by Descartes, Kant and Hegel, and consider contemporary ideas that revive the subject, including queer theory and national identity.

Contributions by: Charles Shepherdson, Elizabeth Grosz, Étienne Balibar, Homi Bhabha, Juliet Flower MacCannell, Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen, Mladen Dolar, Parveen Adams, Slavoj Zizek