The dialectics of rupture: Malabou’s plasticity and the rethinking of Hegelian teleology

Abstract

The article analyzes the reception of Hegelian philosophy in contemporary thought, focusing on the radical rethinking of dialectics and teleology proposed by French philosopher Catherine Malabou. It begins by examining critiques of the Hegelian system from poststructuralist and liberal thinkers, who perceived its teleological completeness as a threat to pluralism, freedom, and historical openness. In response to these critiques, the study explores Malabou’s concept of plasticity as an alternative framework – one that transcends the rigid teleology of classical dialectics by incorporating elements of rupture, destruction, and biologically conditioned symbolization. The paper further traces how Malabou integrates Hegelian becoming with deconstruction and neuroscience, proposing a new ontology in which the biological and the symbolic coexist as equal modes of being. Ultimately, the authors argue that Malabou’s philosophy offers a path for transforming, rather than rejecting, the Hegelian system, thus preserving its dialectical potential within a post-metaphysical context.