The Lacanian Subject – Between Language & Jouissance: Between Language and Jouissance - Hardcover

Fink, Bruce

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691037604 ISBN 13: 9780691037608

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 1995

Synopsis

This book presents the radically new theory of subjectivity found in the work of Jacques Lacan. Against the tide of post-structuralist thinkers who announce "the death of the subject," Bruce Fink explores what it means to come into being as a subject where impersonal forces once reigned, subjectify the alien roll of the dice at the beginning of our universe, and make our own knotted web of our parents' desires that led them to bring us into this world.

Lucidly guiding readers through the labyrinth of Lacanian theory--unpacking such central notions as the Other, object a, the unconscious as structures like a language, alienation and separation, the paternal metaphor, jouissance, and sexual difference--Fink demonstrates in-depth knowledge of Lacan's theoretical and clinical work. Indeed, this is the first book to appear in English that displays a firm grasp of both theory and practice of Lacanian psychoanalysis, the author being one of the only Americans to have undergone full training with Lacan's school in Paris.

Fink Leads the reader step by step into Lacan's conceptual system to explain how one comes to be a subject--leading to psychosis. Presenting Lacan's theory in the context of his clinical preoccupations, Fink provides the most balanced, sophisticated, and penetrating view of Lacan's work to date--invaluable to the initiated and the uninitiated alike.

About this title

Review:

"The Lacanian Subject not only provides an excellent introduction into the fundamental coordinates of Jacques Lacan's conceptual network; it also proposes original solutions to (or at least clarifications of) some of the crucial dilemmas left open by Lacan's work."--Slavoj Zizek, Journal for Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society

Synopsis:

This text presents the theory of subjectivity found in the work of Jacques Lacan. Against the tide of post-structuralist thinkers who announce the "death of the subject", the book explores what it means to come into being as a subject where impersonal forces once reigned, subjectify the alien roll of the dice at the beginning of our universe, and make our own the knotted web of our parent's desires that led them to bring us into the world. Guiding readers through the labyrinth of Lacanian theory - unpacking such central notions as the Other, object "a", the unconscious as structured like and language, alienation and separation, the paternal metaphor, jouissance and sexual difference - the author demonstrates in-depth knowledge of Lacan's theoretical and clinical work. Fink leads the reader step by step into Lacan's conceptual system to explain how one comes to be a subject, the analytic techniques employed to foster subjectification (punctuation, the "short session" and oracular speech) and the conditions responsible for the failure to become a subject - leading to psychosis.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0691037604
• ISBN 13: 9780691037608
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 238