主體性是當代女性主義所討論的中心議題之一。後結構女性主義者認為主體是流動的，一個本質性、統一性的「自我」是不存在。後結構女性主義者之所以持如此觀點，實為巔覆父權論述中固定主體性之策略。本研究藉著闡述後結構女性主義中最具代表性的兩位─克麗絲蒂娃與巴特樂的理論，來探討「巔覆性自我」的意義。克麗絲蒂娃主體性的理論是根據她的語言理論。克氏認為語言是一種表意的過程而非封閉的系統，所以主體也是不斷變化的過程。巴特樂用表演性理論來說明主體性。表演性是一種戲劇性與臨時性的意義建構。對巴氏而言，外在的表演即是存在的全部。巴氏認為一個人的性別認同是經由他╱她表演出來的，而非原來就存在的。

　　　　　The problem of subjectivity, or identity, has been one of the central issues in the discussion of contemporary feminism. The post-structualist feminists hold that identifties are fluid because there is no essential or unified "I." This notion of subjectivity is the subversive strategy the poststructuralist feminists employ to subvert the fixed identitiy in the partiarchical discourse. This study attempts to explore the implications of subversive self by explicating the theories of two representative poststructuralist feminists, Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler. Kristeva's theory of subjectivity is her theory of language. Language for Kristeva is not a closed sign system but a signifying process; therefore, the subject is always in process. Butler's theory of subjectivity is her theory of performativity. Performativity suggests a dramatic and contingent construction of meaning. For Butler the outward performance is all there is. Bulter's theory of performativity argues that the one is doing one's gender identity, instead of being one's gender identity.