Captation
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| French: captation |
[edit] Origin of the Term
The French substantive captation is a neologism coined by French psychoanalysts from the verb capter.[1]
[edit] Jacques Lacan
It was adopted by Jacques Lacan in 1948 and occurs regularly in his work from this point on.
[edit] Imaginary Effects of the Specular Image
Lacan uses the term captation to describe the imaginary effects of the specular image on the subject.[2]
The double sense of the French term nicely indicates the ambiguous nature of the power of the specular image:
- On the one hand, it conveys the sense of "captivation," thus expressing the fascinating, seductive power of the image.
- On the other hand, the term also conveys the idea of "capture," which evokes the more sinister power of the image to imprison the subject in a disabling fixation.
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
- ↑ Édouard Pichon and Odile Codet
- ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. p. 18
