Psychoanalytic Materialism. A Political-Philosophical Approach

by | Vol 31 (4) 2013

In these times of the increasing neurologisation of the person, the question is not only how psychoanalysis can or should relate to the neurosciences, but also how it should position itself in relation to psychology, as the latter has seemingly unproblematically aligned itself with the new hegemonious discourse. The author argues that philosophy, specifically political philosophy and ideology critique, that can bring clarity here. The central idea is that where neurologisation and psychologisation merge, psychoanalysis shall have to clarify its conception of materialism. To paraphrase Rimbaud: Il faut absolument être materialiste. Arising primarily from a critical dialogue with the philosopher Adrian Johnston, the author claims that psychoanalysis deals with a decentred materiality, a materiality of the object a.

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