Lacan and Philosophy

Catalog description

Jacques Lacan revolutionized psychoanalytic theory and practice in the name of what he called a 'return to Freud'. Despite the many twists and turns of Lacan's thinking, a number of things remained constant: a commitment to reading Freud in dialogue with almost the entirety of the Western intellectual tradition, taking in philosophy, art, literature, religion and more; an uncompromising and controversial commitment to the most radical theoretical and practical consequences of the Freudian discovery of the unconscious. We will read representative texts, critically assessing the relevance of Lacan for subjectivity, culture, art and politics. It is strongly recommended that any students enrolling in this class have completed at least two Philosophy courses before it begins.