On Frege’s Sinn, Bedeutung and Vorstellung in Lacan’s Work: A Reading of Seminars XVIII, XIX and XX

by | Vol 30 (1) 2012

In the early 1970s Lacan regularly referred to Gottlob Frege’s concepts Sinn and Bedeutung. Using these concepts he defined two elements of the symptom and two dimensions of analytic discourse. In this paper the author discusses how Lacan uses both concepts, and he explores how the third dimension Frege distinguishes in the sign – Vorstellung – can be situated in Lacan’s work. This discussion is situated within the broader context of Lacan’s teaching from this period and also explores the concepts speaking being, non-rapport, sexual jouissance and phallus.

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