Abstract
In this introductory chapter, Tombras focuses on Aristotle’s theory of causality. It stemmed from his belief that earthly and celestial worlds are fundamentally different, the celestial world being perfect, unchangeable and eternal, while the earthly world is constantly under change, striving to reach perfection. As Tombras explains, after Descartes a cause is no longer thought as something that brings up a change, but rather as link in a causal chain that can be best described by a law. Sigmund Freud belongs in this world of modern science, where the psyche can be understood in terms of specific psychic laws. This specific aspect of modernity is criticised by Martin Heidegger who claims that modern science fails to grasp the human being in its being human. Tombras argues that a convincing response to Heidegger’s argument comes from Jacques Lacan’s take on Freudian psychoanalysis. The chapter also focuses on questions regarding Heidegger’s relationship with Nazism and on methodological questions regarding the work of both Heidegger and Lacan.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
On a cursory glance, French philosopher Alain Badiou ’s work—an oeuvre in which he explicitly refers to Heidegger’s re-positing of the ontological question and to Lacan’s post-Cartesian conceptualisation of the divided subject —seems to overlap with my project. Badiou purports to construct a fully-fledged philosophical system in an attempt to respond to the challenges of what he conceives as a new epoch of science, the subject and truth. Badiou’s understanding and use of crucial terms such as “being”, “event”, “truth” and “subject” appear to be highly idiosyncratic and largely incompatible with the ways in which Heidegger and Lacan employ them. Badiou is not interested in Heidegger’s critique of Freudian theory or in the intricacies of Lacan’s understanding of the speaking being. These are precisely the issues that interest me.
- 2.
See David Farrell Krell, Daimon Life: Heidegger and Life-Philosophy (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992), p. 138.
- 3.
See, however, below, p. 194n12.
- 4.
Joan Stambaugh, ‘The Turn’, in Babette E. Babich (ed.), From Phenomenology to Thought, Errancy, and Desire: Essays in Honor of William J. Richardson, S.J. (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 1995), 209–212, p. 209.
- 5.
See Jacques Lacan, Écrits [1966] (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006). To facilitate cross-referencing, page references to texts from Écrits will also include the French original page number after a slash.
- 6.
Jacques-Allain Miller, ‘Extimité’ [1985–86], in Mark Bracher et al. (eds.), Lacanian Theory of Discourse: Subject, Structure, and Society (New York: New York University Press, 1994), 74–87, p. 75.
- 7.
Jacques Lacan, The Seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis [1964–65], ed. Jacques-Allain Miller (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1998), p. 7.
- 8.
Seminar XI, p. 89.
- 9.
See Jean-Claude Milner, ‘Considerations of a Work’ [1995], trans. James Penney, Journal for Lacanian Studies, 4/1 (2006), 141–158, p. 142.
- 10.
Jacques Lacan, The Seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book III: The Psychoses [1955–56], ed. Jacques-Allain Miller (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993), p. 243.
- 11.
Seminar XI, p. 33.
Bibliography
Krell, David Farrell, Daimon Life: Heidegger and Life-Philosophy (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992).
Lacan, Jacques, Écrits [1966], trans. Bruce Fink, Héloïse Fink, and Russell Grigg (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006).
———, The Seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book III: The Psychoses [1955–56], ed. Jacques-Allain Miller, trans. Russel Grigg (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1993).
———, The Seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis [1964–65], ed. Jacques-Allain Miller, trans. Alan Sheridan (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1998).
Miller, Jacques-Allain, ‘Extimité’ [1985–86], trans. Françoise Massardier-Kenney, in Mark Bracher, et al. (eds.), Lacanian Theory of Discourse: Subject, Structure, and Society (New York: New York University Press, 1994), 74–87.
Milner, Jean-Claude, ‘Considerations of a Work’ [1995], trans. James Penney, Journal for Lacanian Studies, 4/1 (2006), 141–158.
Stambaugh, Joan, ‘The Turn’ in Babette E. Babich (ed.), From Phenomenology to Thought, Errancy, and Desire: Essays in Honor of William J. Richardson, S.J. (Phenomenologica, 133; Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 1995), 209–212.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
I have struggled with the texts of Freud and Lacan for more than thirty years. A fleeting first contact became the sparkle for an intense interest that has not left me since. Regarding Heidegger, I first became acquainted with his thought some years later. Heidegger taught me how to ask questions and gave me the tools to see how much goes on behind any simple and “self-evident” accepted truth. The encounter with Heidegger’s questioning shook my dogmatic slumber, so to speak. As a practitioner of psychoanalysis, I have found it imperative, in an increasingly urgent manner, to be able to respond to his criticisms against psychoanalysis—or at least to have some idea of how a response was to be formulated.
This book is the product of more than ten years of intense thinking and questioning, having grown out of a doctoral thesis I defended at Middlesex University. It has benefitted and was enriched considerably from discussions and disagreements, both with colleagues and trainees at CFAR (London), and with people who did not have any professional or other reason to be well disposed towards psychoanalysis in its Lacanian or other forms. I wouldn’t expect them to agree with all my arguments and support my conclusions, but I thank them all.
I am especially indebted to Prof. Bernard Burgoyne for our discussions and illuminating debates, and, crucially, for his support and encouragement all these years, even when he disagreed with me. I am grateful to Ross McElwain for generously offering to read the manuscript and helping me with his corrections, useful comments and thoughts. I would also like to thank Derek Hook and Calum Neill, editors of Palgrave Lacan Series, for their kind advice, encouragement and valuable feedback. Of course, this book would not be possible without the patience, help and support from Jo O’Neill and Grace Jackson of Palgrave. They made the process of preparing and delivering this manuscript as smooth and pleasant as possible. Finally, a great thank you would need to go to Aneta Stamenova, who has endured me throughout these years of struggling while challenging me with insightful questions and suggestions, and also to my parents, Spyros and Chara, who showed me a world where music is played to be shared, inspiring me to look through the grilles of our old valve radio and squint hard enough to see the musicians sharing their music in the half-light of that strange stage.
◈ ◈ ◈
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tombras, C. (2019). Introduction. In: Discourse Ontology. The Palgrave Lacan Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13662-8_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13662-8_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-13661-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-13662-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)