Jacques Lacan
Controversial French psychoanalyst who rethought Freud through structuralism.
Jacques Marie Émile Lacan was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, described as 'the most controversial psycho-analyst since Freud'. His work significantly impacted continental philosophy and cultural theory, including post-structuralism, critical theory, feminist theory, and film theory, as well as the practice of psychoanalysis itself.
- born
- 13 April 1901
- died
- 9 September 1981
- field
- Psychoanalysis, Psychiatry
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Return to Freud, mirror phase, structuralist psychoanalysis, annual seminars
Lore & Background
Lacan was born in Paris, the eldest of three children. His father was a successful soap and oils salesman, and his mother was ardently Catholic; his younger brother entered a monastery in 1929. An interest in philosophy led him to the work of Spinoza, and he abandoned religious faith for atheism. He published in the surrealist journal Minotaure. During the Nazi occupation of France, the SPP was disbanded. Lacan served military duty at Val-de-Grâce hospital while continuing his private practice. Lacan's introduction of controversial innovations in clinical practice led to his expulsion from the International Psychoanalytic Association.
Reader's Guide
Lacan's significance lies in his radical reinterpretation of Freudian psychoanalysis through the lenses of structuralist linguistics, anthropology, predicate logic, and topology. By emphasizing the philosophical dimension of Freud's thought, he challenged prevailing trends that adapted Freud's ideas to social norms. His concept of the 'mirror phase' and his focus on language as structuring the unconscious reshaped psychoanalytic theory. Despite expulsion from the International Psychoanalytic Association, Lacan founded new institutions that continued his work, ensuring his legacy as a controversial but pivotal figure in both psychoanalysis and the humanities.
Did You Know?
- Lacan was rejected for military service in 1920 for being too thin.
- His younger brother entered a monastery in 1929.
- Lacan studied Chinese and obtained a degree from the École Spéciale des Langues Orientales.
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