The Issue of Subjectivity in D.-A.-F. de Sade’s Thought

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss two issues in Sade’a thought which are expressions of the striving for sovereignty of the subject and at the same time lead to rejection of sovereignty. The first one is the phenomenon of apathy, which is the result of rejecting any sensuality or emotionality. It requires negating anything which traditionally consists of human subjectivity – morality, conscience or any feelings that associates us with others. In the state of total apathy human stops being a subject but becomes an energy itself. The final consequence of this is the rejection of the fear of death. The second issue is the negation of the causality, which is a way of separating a man from the influence of nature. Due to this man ceases to be an instrument of nature, driven by impulses, but in the same time it loses sovereignty. The negation of causality results in the denial of the possibility conditions for the existence of free will – our actions cannot result from our beliefs and conscious decisions, but they are identical with our beliefs.