Hegelian-Lacanian Variations on Late Modernity: Spectre of Madness

193 Pages·2021·17.147 MB·English

by  Alireza Taheri

“Alireza Taheri’s book provides the ultimate proof that a combination of Hegel’s

dialectics and Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory is the best instrument to analyse
the madness of our late capitalist modernity. Spectre of Madness is not yet another
book on Hegel and Lacan - it is simply a book for everyone who wants to
understand how things could have gone so wrong after Fukuyama proclaimed
the end of history.”
Slavoj Žižek, Birkbeck Institute for the
Humanities, University of London
“Taheri clearly and perceptively retraces the complexity of modern Western
philosophy from Kant onward, using the key concept of Diremption. This
book is a precious tool for anyone looking for an up-to-date examination of
psychoanalysis through philosophical reflection.”
Sergio Benvenuto, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and
Technologies, Italian National Research Council in Rome
“In Hegelian-Lacanian Variations on Late Modernity: Spectre of Madness, Alireza
Taheri creatively recasts the notion of negativity at the intersection of German
idealism and psychoanalysis. On the basis of a Lacanian rendition of Hegelian
contradiction, Taheri’s book meticulously and insightfully explores a series of
irresolvable antinomies both organizing and unsettling human subjects. Kant
famously asked ‘What may I hope?’ Taheri, on the basis of his wide-ranging
assessment of the contradictions that make (and unmake) who we are, could
be said to confront us with the equally important sobering question: ‘For what
may I not hope?’”
Adrian Johnston, Department of Philosophy,
University of New Mexico

Hegelian- Lacanian Variations
on Late Modernity
The current rise in new religions and the growing popularity of New Ageism
is concomitant with an increasingly anti- philosophical sentiment marking our
contemporary situation. More specifically, it is philosophical and psychoanalytic
reason that has lost standing, faced with the triumph of post-s ecular “spiritu-
ality”. Combatting this trend, this treatise develops a theoretical apparatus based
on Hegelian speculative reason and Lacanian psychoanalysis.
With the aid of this theoretical apparatus, the book argues how cer-
tain conceptual pairs appear opposed through an operation of misrecogni-
tion christened, following Hegel, as “diremption”. The failure to reckon with
identities- in- difference relegates the subject to more vicious contradictions that
define central aspects of our contemporary predicament. The repeated thesis of
the treatise is that the deadlocks marking our contemporary situation require
renewed engagement with dialectical thinking beyond the impasses of common
understanding. Only by embarking on this philosophical- psychoanalytic “path
of despair” (Hegel) will we stand a chance of achieving “joyful wisdom”
(Nietzsche).
Developing a unique dialectical theory based on readings of Hegel, Lacan and
Žižek, in order to address various philosophical and psychoanalytic questions,
this book will be of great interest to anyone interested in German idealism and/
or psychoanalytic theory.
Alireza Taheri provides psychoanalytic psychotherapy in a private practice in
Toronto where he is also actively involved in teaching Lacanian theory at the
Toronto Psychoanalytic Institute and Society. Alireza is a permanent faculty
member of HamAva Psychoanalytic Institute in Tehran (Iran) where he teaches
psychoanalytic theory and practice. He is also engaged in writing articles on
philosophy and psychoanalysis and is presently the editor-i n- chief and book
review editor of Psychoanalytic Discourse (an independent international journal
for the clinical, theoretical and cultural discussion of psychoanalysis).

Hegelian- Lacanian Variations

on Late Modernity
Spectre of Madness
Alireza Taheri
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Alireza Taheri
The right of Alireza Taheri to be identified as author of this work has been asserted
by them 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.
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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
Names: Taheri, Alireza, 1976– author.
Title: Hegelian-Lacanian variations on late modernity : spectre of madness / Alireza Taheri.
Description: New York: Routledge, 2020. |
Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “The current rise in new religions and
the growing popularity of New Ageism is concomitant with an increasingly anti-philosophical
sentiment marking our contemporary situation. More specifically, it is philosophical and
psychoanalytic reason that has lost standing
faced with the triumph of post-secular “spirituality”. Combatting this trend, this treatise develops
a theoretical apparatus based on Hegelian speculative reason and Lacanian psychoanalysis.
With the aid of this theoretical apparatus, the book argues how certain apparent contraries appear
opposed through an operation of misrecognition christened, following Hegel, as “diremption”.
The failure to reckon with identities-in-difference relegates the subject to more vicious
contradictions that define central aspects of our contemporary predicament. The repeated thesis
of the treatise is that the deadlocks marking our contemporary situation require renewed
engagement with dialectical thinking beyond the impasses of common understanding. Only by
embarking on this philosophical-psychoanalytic “path of despair” (Hegel) will we stand a chance
of achieving “joyful wisdom” (Nietzsche). Developing a unique dialectical theory based on readings
of Hegel, Lacan and Zizek, in order to address various philosophical and psychoanalytic questions,
this book will be of great interest to anyone interested in German idealism and/or
psychoanalytic theory”– Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020032308 (print) | LCCN 2020032309 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367523077 (paperback) | ISBN 9780367523084 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781003057390 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: New Age persons. | Dialectical theology. | Reason. |
Psychoanalysis–Philosophy. | Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 1770-1831. |
Lacan, Jacques, 1901-1981.
Classification: LCC BP605.N48 T34 2020 (print) |
LCC BP605.N48 (ebook) | DDC 190–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020032308
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020032309
ISBN: 978-0 - 367- 52308- 4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0 - 367- 52307- 7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1 - 003- 05739- 0 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Newgen Publishing UK
To the memory of my mother, Pari.

Contents

Acknowledgements xii

Introduction: The paradox of self- reflection 1

Variation 1
The diremptive remains 8

Variation 2
The triumph of dialectical “lower” terms 14

Variation 3
Speculative topology 18

Variation 4
Vicious dialectical reversals 23

Variation 5
Faith and reason 32

Variation 6
The paradoxes of love 36

Variation 7
The paradox of identity 43

Variation 8
Subject and collective 49

Variation 9
Ausstossung and Verwerfung 59