Asexuality and Freudian-Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Towards a Theory of an Enigma PDF
Preview Asexuality and Freudian-Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Towards a Theory of an Enigma
In this richly researched work, Murphy draws on the libido theory of Freud and Lacan to give a compelling psychoanalytic account of what has come to be known as asexuality. As a recently recognised phenomenon, asexuality remains profoundly under-theorised. This book, written from the perspective of psychoanalysis, opens a new chapter in thinking about what Murphy rightly calls an enigma. Russell Grigg, psychoanalyst, member of the New Lacanian School, Melbourne, Australia The usual view is that Freud’s “pansexualism” implies that all human behaviour is sexually motivated. Lacan questioned this when he stated, “there is no sexual relation.” In this important and timely book, Murphy goes even further. Starting from the undisputed evidence that there are asexual minorities in most cultures, he explores how the absence of sexual attraction can be non-pathological, demonstrating that such an exception proves that sexuality is not a rule. This brave investigation of a different desire makes us reconsider relationships, intimacy, and sexual identities. Patricia Gherovici, psychoanalyst and author of Transgender Psychoanalysis: A Lacanian Perspective on Sexual Difference (Routledge, 2017) Asexuality and Freudian-Lacanian Psychoanalysis Asexuality and Freudian-Lacanian Psychoanalysis: Towards a Theory of an Enigma proposes that asexuality is a libidinally founded desire for no sexual desire, a concept not included in psychoanalytic theory up to now. “Asexuality” is defined as the experience of having no sexual attraction for another person; as an emerging self-defined sexual orientation, it has received practically no attention from psychoanalytic research. This book is the first sustained piece of exploratory and theoretical research from a Freudian-Lacanian perspective. Using Freudian concepts to understand the intricacies of human sexual desire, this volume will also employ Lacanian conceptual tools to understand how asexuality might sustain itself despite the absence of Other-directed sexual desire. This book argues that asexuality holds a mirror to contemporary sexualized society which assumes sexual attraction and eroticism as the benchmarks for experiencing sexual desire. It also argues that asexuality may be a previously unrecognized form of human sexuality which can contribute new understandings to the range and breadth of what it means to be a sexual being. This book will be of interest to anyone in the area of asexuality or sexuality – psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, university lecturers, researchers, students or those simply curious about the possibilities of the human sex drive. Kevin Murphy, PhD, is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist practising in Dublin, Ireland. He is a Registered Practitioner Member of the Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland (APPI) and a Member of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP). Asexuality and Freudian-Lacanian Psychoanalysis Towards a Theory of an Enigma Kevin Murphy Cover image: ©iStock/Getty Images First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Kevin Murphy The right of Kevin Murphy to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022022302 ISBN: 978-1-032-10357-0 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-10358-7 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-21494-6 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003214946 Typeset in Times New Roman by Apex CoVantage, LLC This book is dedicated to my wife, Gina, who has been a constant source of love, support and encouragement. Contents Preface x Acknowledgements xii Introduction 1 1 What Research Has to Say about Asexuality 19 2 Towards a Freudian Understanding 37 3 Key Freudian Concepts and Their Relation to Asexuality 60 4 Towards a Lacanian Understanding of Asexuality 82 5 The Challenge of Libido and the Annulment of Sexual Desire 107 6 Asexual Jouissance and the Lacanian Sinthome 133 7 Conclusion 155 Index 175
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