The Self, the Other and Human Rights Lacan, Levinas and the Ethics of Alterity

392 Pages·2012·1.41 MB·English

The Self, the Other and Human Rights

Lacan, Levinas and the Ethics of Alterity

Joseph Andrew Indaimo
(BAHon, LLB, MAHon)

Thesis presented for the fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy, University of New South Wales, School of Law
2011

Special thanks to Principle Supervisor Robert Shelly & thanks to co-
Supervisor Ben Golder for all guidance, comments and support. Thanks
to Jane Armstrong for editorial comments

To Aurelio and Catherine with love and gratitude & to all those lost on the
way
CONTENTS

Introduction
Introduction: Rights’ Claims and Counter-Claims: A Clash of Discourses 1-12

Chapter One: Tracing the Subject
Introduction 13-14

The Pre-modern Predicament 14-20

Hobbes and Locke and the Labour in Self 20-26

Rousseau and Kant and the Dignity in “I” 26-42

Marx and the Critique from within 42-50

Conclusion 50-53

Chapter Two: Modern Human Rights and Postmodern Agency
Introduction 54-56

The Postmodern Predisposition 56-68

The Power of Right in Contemporary Human Rights 68-82

Conclusion 82-88

i
Part A: Lacan’s Subject-of-Lack
Chapter Three: The Subject Divided and the Subject of Loss
Introduction 89-91

The Topography of Self: the Borromean Knot of the Real,
the Imaginary and the Symbolic 92-95

The Intervention of the Imaginary: the Rupture of Consciousness,
the Other Side of Self and the Lost Real 96-103

The Imaginary Other: the Ideal Imago and the Duality of Self 103-110

The Symbolic Realm and the Subject in Language 111-114

The Symbolic Preview: The Entrance of Oedipus,
the Biases of Law and the Objet Petite a 114-123

The Speaking subject: the Signification of Language and the
Failing Signifier 123-128

Conclusion 128-131

Chapter Four: Human Rights through the Lacanian Specular
Introduction 132-134

Laying the Foundations with Ethics of the Real: Illusions, Fantasies
and Human Rights of Ideality 134-147

The Dual Illusions of Possibility: the Ideal-I of the Cogito
and the Signification of Rights 148-156
ii
The Power of Right: the Law as Phallus and Rights as Objet Petite a 156-164

Conclusion 164-169

Chapter Five: The Ethical Interrogations of Impossible Desire
Introduction 170-173

The Threat to Human Subjectivity from Human Pleasure: Ailments,
Ideologies and the Terror of the Real 173-183

The Constitutive Lack in an Impossible Desire 183-191

The Mediation of Ethical Desire through Identity and Human Rights 191-200

Conclusion 200-206

Part B: Levinas’s Subject for-the-Other
Chapter Six: The Self, the Face, Alterity and Ethics
Introduction 207-211

Levinas and the Violence of the Self 211-219

The Incarnate: the Provocation of the Other in the Everyday 219-225

The Face and Infinite Alterity 225-231

Proximity and Alterity: Otherness and Ethics 231-245

Conclusion 245-247

Chapter Seven: Alterity, Human Rights and Responsibility for the Other
Introduction 248-250
iii
Levinas’s Critique: Human Rights and the Ego-I 250-270

A Human Rights of Otherness: Rights Grounded in the
Responsibility for-the-Other 270-281

Conclusion 281-284

Chapter Eight: Ethics and Beyond: Human Rights, Law and Justice
of the Many
Introduction 285-288

A Neighbourhood of Three and Justice for the Many 288-300

The Good State: Deliberative Democracy, Critical
Justice and Ethical Alterity 300-314

Deconstruction in the Decision: the Provocation of Rights in the
Judgement of Law and Delivery of Justice 314-327

Conclusion 327-329

Conclusion
The Self, the Other and Human Rights
From Self to Other: from Rights to Responsibility 330-341

The Trouble with Neighbours: Lacan with Levinas,
the Unconscious and Ethics 341-350

The Sociality of an Ethical-Justice in the Critical
Gaps of Democracy 350-362
iv
Bibliography
363-379

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