Abstract Dialectical theory and the critique of modernity are two significant topics in the modern philosophical research. From the perspective of theoretical thinking and the evolution of social history, both are closely intertwined through the key concept of subjectivity. On the one hand, the freedom of subjectivity constitutes the fundamental principle of modern social life. While this principle of modernity highlights individual freedom, it also entails the predicament of subjectivism and the risks of anomie. On the other hand, similar to the subjectivist predicament of modernity, dialectics also faces the theoretical risk of subjective arbitrariness, as evidenced in its evolution from the dialogue to sophistry and from the truth to illusion. Therefore, overcoming the “negative subjectivity” becomes a shared theme in the development of dialectical theory and the critique of modernity.Focusing on the issue of overcoming “negative subjectivity”, the transformation of the subject in dialectics and the reflection on the principles of modernity present a historical trajectory of thought that progresses from Hegel to Marx and Gadamer. Hegel’s pathway of entity as subject overcame the subjective interpretation of dialectics within the framework of metaphysics, establishing the principle of subject as entity, which provides theoretical insights for reflecting on the notion of subjective freedom in the civil society. Based on this foundation, Marx and Gadamer further reconstructed the subject in dialectics through material life relations and effective historical relations respectively. They achieved a praxis turn and a hermeneutic turn in the discourse on the subject within dialectics. From the dimensions of life practice and linguistic interpretation, they established the interactive subjectivity of dialectics, thereby engaging in the reflection and reconstruction of the principles of modernity.The interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics is reflected in three aspects The dialectical structure, value concepts, and practical principles implied in the interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics lay the foundation for reflecting on and reconstructing the modern principle of subjective freedom. They offer theoretical guidance for modern individuals to overcome the predicament of self-centeredness, move toward modern public life, and promote human freedom and social development. Within the foundational theoretical research of modern philosophy, systematically exploring and deeply understanding the historical transformation of dialectical subject not only provide a theoretical entry point for reflecting on the principles of modernity but also facilitate the deeper development of dialectical theory research. The interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics is reflected in three aspects The dialectical structure, value concepts, and practical principles implied in the interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics lay the foundation for reflecting on and reconstructing the modern principle of subjective freedom. They offer theoretical guidance for modern individuals to overcome the predicament of self-centeredness, move toward modern public life, and promote human freedom and social development. Within the foundational theoretical research of modern philosophy, systematically exploring and deeply understanding the historical transformation of dialectical subject not only provide a theoretical entry point for reflecting on the principles of modernity but also facilitate the deeper development of dialectical theory research.
Peng Shuangzhen. The Transformation of the Subject of Dialectics and the Reflection on the Principle of Modernity[J]. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2025, 55(1): 61-73.
2025, Vol. 55 
