Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 5, 2025

The Vitality of the Subject: Rethinking the Relationship between Consciousness and Life

(Abstract)

Wang Jiaxin

Twentieth-century continental philosophy is shaped by a persistent tension between two philosophical impulses: one aims to construct a rational universalism grounded in the philosophy of consciousness, while the other seeks to reveal the dynamic vitality of life as experienced in its fluid, lived form. The interplay and tension between these two strands have profoundly influenced the development of the broader phenomenological tradition. Reconciling—or even reconfiguring—their relationship remains a central concern in contemporary continental thought. Classical phenomenology did not fully address the call for a balanced understanding of consciousness and life. In response, German and French phenomenologists have engaged this question directly, exploring the nature of life from the perspective of its interaction with consciousness. These efforts have led to what might be described as a “transcendental vitalism”—a philosophical stance that begins with force and movement, and portrays life as the ground of consciousness, which in turn becomes the medium through which life reveals itself. By analyzing the structural elements embedded in this process, such a perspective opens new possibilities for cross-cultural philosophical dialogue.