Jacques Lacan and the Logic of Structure: Topology and language in psychoanalysis

187 Pages·2015·14.185 MB·English

by  Ellie Ragland

JACQUES LACAN AND THE LOGIC
OF STRUCTURE
Lacan postulated that the psyche can be understood by means ofcertain structures,
which control our lives and our desires, and which operate differently at different
logical moments or stages of formation. jacques Lacan and the Logic of Structure
offers us a reading ofthe major concepts ofLacan in terms of his later topological
theory and aims to show how this was always a concern for Lacan and not only
issue in the last seminars.
an
Ellie Ragland discusses how various stages of formation can be uncovered
topologically within language itself, and operate to place certain properties—
fantasy, the drive, jouissance, discourse and ethics in language itself. In this
way she explores not only how language actually works in tandem with the
properties, but also gives a different idea of what knowledge actually is and what
implications that may have for reimagining and reworking differential/diagnostic
structures.
jacques Lacan and the Logic ofStructure is a compelling exponent ofthe innovative
approaches Lacan takes to rethinking what psychoanalysis is and what it can do
to enlighten psychoanalysts and treat patients. It will be essential reading for
psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists and training graduate students in
the ?elds of ?lm, literary, gender and cultural studies.
Ellie Ragland is Professor of English and Honorary French Professor as well
as Frederick A. Middlebush Chair at the University of Missouri where she
teaches psychoanalytic theory and world literature. She is author of seven
authored and edited books on Lacanian psychoanalysis. She is a practicing
psychoanalyst and is a member of the New Lacanian School and the World
Association of Psychoanalysis.

JACQUES LACAN
AND THE LOGIC
OF STRUCTURE
Topology and language
in psychoanalysis
Ellie Ragland
Rou?edge
Taylor&Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2015
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, NewYork, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint qf the Taylor 8 Francis Group, an informa business
? 2015 Ellie Ragland
The right of Ellie Ragland to be identi?ed as author of this work has been
asserted by her 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
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library qf Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Ragland—Sullivan, Ellie, 1941—
]acques Lacan and the logic of structure: Lacanian structures and language
in psychoanalysis / Ellie Ragland.—First Edition.
pages cm
1. Lacan,]acques, 1901—1981. 2. Psycholinguistics. 3. Psychoanalysis.
4.Topology. I.Title.
BF455.R263 2015
150.19'5092—dc23 2014049473
ISBN: 978-0—415—72131—8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978—0-415-72132—5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978—1—315—77432—9 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Keystroke. Station Road, Codsall,Wolverhampton
CONTENTS
Note references vii
on
Introduction
The logic of structure in Lacan: the structure of
the subject 19
2 Some re?ections on Lacan’s theory of discourse
structures as set out in “To jakobson” 45
3 The structure of Lacan’s object a 78
4 The structure of the drives: where body and mind join 104
5 The topological dimension of Lacanian optics 118
6 The practice of the letter and topological structure 130
7 Kant’s Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, read in
relation to Lacan’s Seminar VII: The Ethics of Psychoanalysis 144
Conclusion 163
Index 171

NOTE ON REFERENCES
The following abbreviations are used when referring to other works:
S. [x] The Seminar, Boole [x], the standard edition of Lacan’s works, as published
in New York by Norton
BPP Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Freud’s 1920
essay
SE The standard edition of Freud’s work, published in London by Hogarth
Press
NFF Newsletter of the Freudian Field (a journal)
PFC Four Fundamental Concepts (Lacan’s Seminar XI)