Theory & Philosophy Jacques Lacan's "L'étourdit" (Part 1/3)
Nov 9, 2019
Dive into the complexities of Jacques Lacan's enigmatic 'L'étourdit'. Explore the three registers of Imaginary, Symbolic, and Real, and how they shape our egos. Discover the distinction between the 'fact of saying' and 'what is said,' plus the intriguing Borromean knot that links these registers. Delve into Lacan's views on sexuation, the role of social institutions in subject formation, and why there's no meta-language. Unravel the intricacies of love and transference in psychoanalysis, all while appreciating Lacan's insights on language and desire.
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Lacan's Three-Register Synthesis
- Lacan's late text 'L'étourdit' consolidates themes from across his career into a final synthesis around the three registers.
- He increasingly thinks the imaginary, symbolic, and real together rather than sequentially.
What The Imaginary And Symbolic Do
- The imaginary is the realm of image, ego, and semblance that tries to create wholeness out of fragmentation.
- The symbolic is the linguistic register that structures the unconscious and produces meaning.
Saying Vs. Said: The Unconscious Speaks
- Lacan distinguishes 'the fact of saying' (enunciation) from 'what is said' (the statement); the unconscious speaks at the level of enunciation.
- Analysts must attend to what's not said behind statements, since meaning emerges in that gap.
