Author
Authorship and Subjectivity
Felix Stalder
A close connection exists between subjectivity and social institutions; that is, between the way people relate to themselves and the world, and the relatively stable patterns of social interaction that express and reinforce a sense of self. This connection is perhaps nowhere more intimate than between the self, constructed as »individual,« and »authorship« as a social pattern of expressivity.
Over the past 20 years, roughly paralleling the rise of the Internet to the dominant means of communication and coordination, the notion of the individual as a self-conscious, enlightened human being whose autonomy is secured through the clear separation of the inner and outer world, is losing its hegemony, even in Western culture. There are attempts to expand the notion of individuality beyond human beings, yet more networked, fluid notions of self seem to resonate with daily experiences under digital conditions.
This has dramatic and contradictory effects on the social institution of authorship. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is currently claiming in court conventional authorship and ownership on behalf of a monkey who took a selfie, whereas in online cultures authorship is not only separated from ownership but has turned into a general index of activity, a profile that is both generated by and imposed upon people.