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EMBARRASSMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE. A PHILOSOPHICAL COMMENT ON LACAN’S FORMULAE OF SEXUATION

Summary: This paper articulates the idea that the drive to know is the key to sexuality, and that sexuality is the key to subjectivation. It approaches Lacan’s formulae of sexuation starting from the background of Frege’s distinction between function (predicate) and object (argument) on the one hand, and propositional function and quantifier on the other hand. On this basis, the two sides of the Lacanian formulae are interpreted as ‘the all predicative’, le tout prédicat on the one hand, and the courage of the indecision on the other. That a radically escaping point is not without subjective effect, and does make a difference, epistemologically, ontologically and ethically, is what these formulae are seen to illustrate. Where possible, a comparison is being made with Kant’s transcendental philosophy and logics.

Het object van de jaloezie

Het jaloerse subject benijdt het object van de ander maar het object van zijn jaloezie betreft het genot die de Ander ervan heeft. Het jaloerse genot (jalouissance) kan men begrijpen als vrees voor het verlies dat als het ware ‘verbouwd’ wordt in genot. Dit verlies is minder bepaald door de huidige scène van het jaloerse subject dan door het verlies inherent aan de taal. De positivering van het object geldt als beschermdijk tegen de fragiliteit van de symbolische verankering van het jaloerse subject. 

The “ontranding” of the psyche

This article deals with the necessary dynamic between the psyche or movement and the object. The notion of movement serves as a material conception of the psyche, in the same way as the drive, the life-drive and language are material: they exist on the basis of a mutual defining relationship to a support, to an object. This necessity (or thought) is considered from within psychosis. Using the poet Antonin Artaud as the movement is illustrated which is not defined by their grounding encounter with the object. With a neologism psychosis is named as ontrand, both in the sense of approach as well as in the sense of distancing. On the basis of a fragment of a case it is explained that, in a way that is different, it is up to the analyst or therapist to ontrand psychosis. In support of this ontranden the case is made for a sufficient continuing constellation of objects. This translation is offered as what Winnicott meant by transitional objects and phenomena.