Lacan A Beginner Amp; 39;s Guide.20 Codec Across Ichigo BEST
Lacan: A Beginner's Guide
Have you ever wondered what Lacanian psychoanalysis is all about? Do you want to learn more about the life and work of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century? If so, this article is for you.
Lacan A Beginner amp; 39;s Guide.20 codec across ichigo
In this article, I will give you a brief introduction to Jacques Lacan and his main concepts, such as the mirror stage, the three orders, the linguistic turn, the objet petit a, the four discourses, and the mathemes. I will also explain how Lacanian psychoanalysis is practiced and what are some of its applications and criticisms in various fields. By the end of this article, you will have a basic understanding of Lacan's theory and its relevance for today's world.
Who was Jacques Lacan?
Jacques Lacan was a French psychoanalyst who lived from 1901 to 1981. He was one of the most important figures in the history of psychoanalysis, as he developed a new way of reading and interpreting Freud's texts. He also introduced many original concepts that influenced not only psychology, but also philosophy, literature, art, sociology, politics, and culture.
Lacan was born in Paris to a wealthy Catholic family. He studied medicine and psychiatry at the University of Paris, where he became interested in surrealism, Dadaism, and Hegelian philosophy. He joined the French Psychoanalytic Society in 1934 and became a prominent member of it. He started his own clinical practice and taught at various institutions, such as the École Normale Supérieure and the École Freudienne de Paris.
Lacan's main influences were Sigmund Freud, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Ferdinand de Saussure, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Martin Heidegger, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Jacques Derrida, Louis Althusser, and many others. He was also inspired by art, literature, religion, mythology, anthropology, linguistics, mathematics, logic, and topology.
What are the main concepts of Lacanian psychoanalysis?
The mirror stage
The mirror stage is one of Lacan's earliest and most famous concepts. It refers to a developmental stage that occurs between 6 and 18 months of age when a child recognizes itself in a mirror or in another person's gaze. This recognition creates a sense of selfhood or identity that is based on an image that is both idealized and alienated from the child's real body.
Lacan argues that this image is not only a source of narcissism but also a source of anxiety and aggression. The child realizes that it is not identical to its image and that it depends on the other's recognition for its existence. The child also feels threatened by the possibility of losing or breaking its image, which represents its wholeness and unity. The mirror stage is thus the origin of the human desire for recognition and the human conflict between self and other.
The three orders: the Imaginary, the Symbolic and the Real
Lacan divides the human experience into three orders or dimensions: the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real. These orders are not chronological or spatial, but logical and structural. They are interrelated and coexist in every human being.
The Imaginary is the order of images, fantasies, illusions, and identifications. It is based on the mirror stage and the formation of the ego. The Imaginary is characterized by similarity, harmony, completeness, and satisfaction. It is also the realm of narcissism, rivalry, and deception.
The Symbolic is the order of language, culture, law, and society. It is based on the acquisition of speech and the entrance into the social order. The Symbolic is characterized by difference, conflict, lack, and desire. It is also the realm of meaning, structure, rules, and norms.
The Real is the order of what resists symbolization, what escapes language, what cannot be represented or imagined. It is based on the encounter with the traumatic or impossible aspects of reality. The Real is characterized by impossibility, contingency, excess, and jouissance. It is also the realm of the unconscious, the drive, and the Thing.
The linguistic turn: signifier and signified
Lacan was influenced by the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Saussure, who argued that language is a system of signs that are composed of two elements: a signifier (the sound or image) and a signified (the concept or idea). Saussure also claimed that there is no natural or necessary connection between a signifier and a signified, but only an arbitrary and conventional one that is established by social agreement.
Lacan adopts this theory but modifies it in a radical way. He argues that language is not a transparent medium that conveys meaning but a complex structure that determines meaning. He also argues that there is no fixed or stable relationship between a signifier and a signified, but only a sliding or shifting one that is governed by difference and deferral. He introduces the concept of the signifying chain to describe how signifiers are linked together by associations and substitutions in an endless process of signification.
Lacan claims that language is not only a tool for communication but also a mode of subjectivation. He argues that human beings are not born as subjects but become subjects through language. He also argues that language is not only a means of expression but also a source of repression. He claims that language imposes a symbolic order on human reality that excludes or represses what does not fit into it.
The objet petit a
The objet petit a (literally "the little object a") is one of Lacan's most original and enigmatic concepts. It refers to an object that causes desire in human beings. It is not a real object but a fantasy object that fills the gap or lack that is created by language and symbolization. It is not a specific object but a variable object that changes according to each person's history and context.
Lacan argues that human desire is not a natural or biological drive but a cultural and linguistic construct. He claims that human desire is always mediated by an other who represents or embodies the objet petit a for us. He also claims that human desire is never satisfied or fulfilled but always remains in tension or frustration.
Lacan uses different terms to describe different types of objet petit a: the breast, the voice, the gaze, the phallus, etc. He also uses different formulas to express different aspects of objet petit a: $a$, (a), A/a, etc. He considers objet petit a as both an element and an operator in his algebraic system of writing psychoanalysis.
The four discourses
The four discourses are another original concept introduced by Lacan in his later work. They refer to four types of social bonds or relations that are structured by language and power. They are based on four positions or functions that can be occupied by different agents or terms: S1 (the master signifier), S2 (the knowledge), S (the subject), and a (the objet petit a). They are also based on four operations or movements that can be performed by these agents or terms: -> (the arrow), (the double arrow), / (the bar), x (the cross).
```html (the discourse of power and domination), the discourse of the university (the discourse of knowledge and rationality), the discourse of the hysteric (the discourse of resistance and questioning), and the discourse of the analyst (the discourse of transformation and healing). He also suggests that these discourses can be rotated or inverted to produce new discourses or effects.
Lacan uses a mathematical notation to represent these discourses as follows:
Discourse of the master
Discourse of the university
Discourse of the hysteric
Discourse of the analyst
S1 -> S2
S2 -> S1
S -> S1
a -> S
/
/
/
/
S2 x a
a x S
S1 x S2
S1 x S2
Lacan argues that these discourses are not only descriptive but also prescriptive. They shape and regulate how human beings interact with each other and with themselves. They also reveal and conceal the truth and the desire that are at stake in every social bond or relation.
The mathemes
The mathemes are another concept that Lacan developed in his later work. They refer to a series of symbols or formulas that he used to write or formalize his psychoanalytic theory. They are based on mathematical logic, algebra, set theory, topology, and knot theory. They are not meant to be understood literally or numerically, but metaphorically or structurally.
Lacan argues that the mathemes are a way of expressing the logic and structure of the unconscious, which is not a collection of images or memories, but a network of signifiers and relations. He also argues that the mathemes are a way of transmitting and teaching psychoanalysis, which is not a doctrine or a dogma, but a practice and a praxis.
Lacan uses different types of mathemes to represent different aspects of his theory: letters (S, a, A, etc.), numbers (0, 1, 2, etc.), operators (+, -, x, /, etc.), brackets ([ ], ( ), , etc.), bars (/, , , etc.), arrows (->, , etc.), functions (f(x), g(x), etc.), sets (x, x,y, etc.), graphs (L-scheme, R-scheme, etc.), knots (trefoil, Borromean, etc.), and others.
How is Lacanian psychoanalysis practiced?
The variable-length session
One of the most controversial aspects of Lacanian psychoanalysis is the variable-length session. It refers to a technique that Lacan introduced in the 1950s to replace the standard 50-minute session that was common in Freudian psychoanalysis. Lacan argued that the duration of a session should not be determined by the clock or by convention, but by the analyst's interpretation and intervention.
Lacan claimed that the variable-length session was a way of respecting the rhythm and logic of the unconscious, which does not follow a linear or chronological order. He also claimed that the variable-length session was a way of creating an effect of surprise and urgency in the analysand, which could trigger a change or a breakthrough in their analysis.
Lacan's technique was criticized by many psychoanalysts who accused him of being arbitrary and authoritarian. They argued that the variable-length session was unfair and unethical for both the analyst and the analysand. They also argued that the variable-length session was ineffective and counterproductive for the analytic process.
The use of interpretation and intervention
Another important aspect of Lacanian psychoanalysis is the use of interpretation and intervention. It refers to two types of actions that the analyst can perform during a session: interpreting what the analysand says or does, and intervening in what the analysand says or does. Lacan distinguished between two levels or modes of interpretation and intervention: at the level of content (the manifest meaning) and at the level of form (the latent meaning).
```html uation, the scansion, the witticism, the act, etc.
Lacan's approach was criticized by many psychoanalysts who accused him of being obscure and cryptic. They argued that interpretation and intervention should be based on a clear and coherent theory and technique. They also argued that interpretation and intervention should be based on a respectful and empathic relationship with the analysand.
The ethics of desire and the end of analysis
The final aspect of Lacanian psychoanalysis that I will discuss is the ethics of desire and the end of analysis. It refers to the aim and the outcome of the analytic process. Lacan argued that psychoanalysis is not a therapy or a cure, but an ethics or a way of living. He also argued that psychoanalysis is not a finite or a complete process, but an infinite or an open-ended one.
Lacan claimed that the ethics of psychoanalysis is to follow one's desire, which is not a conscious or a rational choice, but an unconscious or a radical demand. He claimed that desire is not something that can be satisfied or fulfilled, but something that can only be articulated or expressed. He claimed that desire is not something that belongs to the ego or the self, but something that relates to the other or the Other.
Lacan proposed different ways of conceptualizing and achieving the end of analysis, such as the traversal of the fantasy, the identification with the sinthome, the passage to the act, the assumption of castration, etc. He suggested that the end of analysis is not a state or a condition, but an act or a decision. He suggested that the end of analysis is not a resolution or a closure, but a creation or an opening.
What are the applications and criticisms of Lacanian psychoanalysis?
Lacan and feminism
One of the fields that has been influenced by Lacanian psychoanalysis is feminism. Lacan's theory of sexual difference and sexual identity has been both appropriated and contested by various feminist thinkers and movements. Some feminists have found Lacan's theory useful and inspiring for challenging patriarchal and phallocentric discourses and practices. Others have found Lacan's theory problematic and oppressive for reproducing sexist and heteronormative assumptions and norms.
Some of the feminist thinkers who have engaged with Lacanian psychoanalysis are Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray, Hélène Cixous, Judith Butler, Jacqueline Rose, Elizabeth Grosz, Joan Copjec, Slavoj Žižek, etc. Some of the topics that they have addressed are language and gender, motherhood and maternity, sexuality and jouissance, fantasy and representation, subjectivity and agency, etc.
Lacan and cultural studies
Another field that has been influenced by Lacanian psychoanalysis is cultural studies. Lacan's theory of ideology and discourse has been widely used and applied by various cultural theorists and critics. They have used Lacan's concepts to analyze and critique various aspects of culture and society, such as art, literature, film, media, politics, religion, education, etc.
```html Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, Ernesto Laclau, Chantal Mouffe, Stuart Hall, etc. Some of the concepts that they have used are the big Other, the master signifier, the interpellation, the ideological fantasy, the symptom, the sublime object of ideology, etc.
Lacan and philosophy
A third field that has been influenced by Lacanian psychoanalysis is philosophy. Lacan's theory of truth and knowledge has been debated and discussed by various philosophers and schools of thought. They have engaged with Lacan's ideas to question and challenge the foundations and limits of philosophy and metaphysics. They have also explored the implications and consequences of Lacan's theory for ethics, politics, aesthetics, logic, etc.
Some of the philosophers who have interacted with Lacanian psychoanalysis are Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière, Giorgio Agamben, Quentin Meillassoux, etc. Some of the issues that they have addressed are being and nothingness, existence and essence, perception and imagination, desire and repetition, event and truth, democracy and equality, potentiality and actuality, contingency and necessity, etc.
Lacan and neuroscience
A fourth field that has been influenced by Lacanian psychoanalysis is neuroscience. Lacan's theory of the brain and the mind has been examined and tested by various neuroscientists and cognitive scientists. They have used Lacan's concepts to investigate and explain the neural and mental processes that underlie human behavior and cognition. They have also compared and contrasted Lacan's theory with other theories and models of the brain and the mind.
Some of the neuroscientists who have studied Lacanian psychoanalysis are Eric Kandel, Antonio Damasio, Joseph LeDoux, Mark Solms, Jaak Panksepp, Lionel Naccache, Catherine Malabou, etc. Some of the phenomena that they have studied are memory and learning, emotion and motivation, consciousness and awareness, language and communication, decision making and problem solving, creativity and innovation, etc.
Conclusion
```html meaning, and truth. However, they differ in many ways. Lacan is more influenced by psychoanalysis and mathematics, while Derrida is more influenced by literature and deconstruction. Lacan is more interested in the structure and logic of language, while Derrida is more interested in the play and difference of language. Lacan is more concerned with the unconscious and the desire, while Derrida is more concerned with the trace and the différance.
What is the difference between Lacan and Foucault?
Lacan and Foucault are both thinkers who share a common interest in power, knowledge, and discourse. However, they differ in many ways. Lacan is more influenced by psychoanalysis and linguistics, while Foucault is more influenced by history and archaeology. Lacan is more interested in the subject and the other, while Foucault is more interested in the episteme and the archive. Lacan is more concerned with the symbolic and the real, while Foucault is more concerned with the discursive and the non-discursive.
What is the difference between Lacan and Deleuze?
Lacan and Deleuze are both philosophers who share a common interest in desire, repetition, and difference. However, they differ in many ways. Lacan is more influenced by Hegel and Kant, while Deleuze is more influenced by Spinoza and Nietzsche. Lacan is more interested in the lack and the limit, while Deleuze is more interested in the excess and the immanence. Lacan is more concerned with the negative and the dialectic, while Deleuze is more concerned with the positive and the rhizome.
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