Reason, logic, and the subject/object dichotomy in the West

The chapter demonstrates the centrality of subject/object dichotomy to the Western philosophical tradition. This is effectuated by tracing the emergence of this dichotomy in Western philosophy thus also demonstrating its artificiality. It is argued that the dominance of reason in early modern philosophy contributed significantly to the emergence of dualistic thinking especially by separating mind and body. The dominance of reason is also linked to the crystallization of logic as a discipline dedicated to good reasoning thus further strengthening the subject/object dichotomy. The artificial installation of subject/object dichotomy at the centre of Western civilization is put into relief by discussing in the penultimate section of the chapter the permutations and transitions of meanings of the terms “subject” and “object”.