Difference between revisions of "Punctuation"

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[[punctuation]] ([[French]]:''[[ponctuation]]'')                   
  
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punctuation (ponctuation)                    To punctuate   a   SIGNIFYING CHAIN IS CO
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To [[punctuate]] a [[signifying chain]] is to produce [[meaning]].
  
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produce meaning. Before punctuation, there is simply a chain of discourse;
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Before [[punctuation]], there is simply a [[chain]] of [[discourse]].
  
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it is the listener/receiver who punctuates this discourse and thereby sanctions
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It is the listener/receiver who [[punctuate]]s this [[discourse]] and thereby sanctions [[retroactive]]ly one particular [[meaning]] of an [[utterance]].
  
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retroactively one particular meaning of an utterance. The punctuation of the
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The [[punctuation]] of the [[signifying chain]] is that which creates the [[illusion]] of a fixed [[meaning]]:
  
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signifying chain is that which creates the illusion of a fixed meaning: 'the
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"The punctuation, once inserted, fixes the meaning."<ref>{{E}} p.99</ref>
  
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punctuation, once inserted, fixes the meaning' (E, 99; see POINT DE CAPITON).
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This is essential in the [[structure]] of [[communication]], where "the sender receives his own message from the receiver."
  
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This is essential in the structure of COMMUNICATION, where 'the sender receives
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It is illustrated in the "elementary cell" of the [[graph of desire]].
  
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his own message from the receiver', and is illustrated in the 'elementary cell'
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==Examples==
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The operation of [[punctuation]] may be illustrated by reference to two situations which are of fundamental importance to [[psychoanalysis]]: the mother-[[child]] [[dual relation]], and the [[transference|transferential]] relation between [[analysand]] and [[analyst]].
  
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of the GRAPH OF [[Desire]].
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===Mother-Child Relation===
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In the first of these situations, the [[baby]] who has not yet acquired [[speech]] can only articulate his [[need]]s in a very primitive kind of [[demand]], namely by screaming.  
  
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      The operation of punctuation may be illustrated by reference to two situa-
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There is no way of knowing for sure whether a scream articulates hunger, pain, tiredness, fear, or something else, and yet the mother interprets it in one particular way, thus determining its meaning [[retroactive]]ly.
  
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tions which are of fundamental importance to psychoanalysis: the mother-
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===Analysand-Analyst Relation===
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[[Punctuation]] is one of the forms which the intervention of the [[analyst]] may take; by punctuating the [[analysand]]'s discourse in an unexpected way, the [[analyst]] can retroactively alter the intended [[meaning]] of the [[analysand]]'s [[speech]]:  
  
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child relation, and the relation between analysand and analyst. In the first of
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"changing the punctuation renews or upsets" the fixed [[meaning]] that the [[analysand]] had attributed to his own [[speech]].<ref>{{E}} p.99</ref>
  
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these situations, the baby who has not yet acquired speech can only articulate
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Such [[punctuation]] is a way of "showing the subject that he is saying more than he thinks he is."<ref>{{Sl}} p.54</ref>
  
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his needs in a very primitive kind of DEMAND, namely by screaming. There is no
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The [[analyst]] can [[punctuate]] the [[analysand]]'s [[discourse]] simply by repeating part of the [[analysand]]'s [[speech]] back to him (perhaps with a different intonation or in a different context).  
  
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way of knowing for sure whether a scream articulates hunger, pain, tiredness,
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For example, if the [[analysand]] says ''tu es ma mère'' ('you are my mother'), the ppanalyst[[ may repeat it in such a way as to bring out the homophony of this phrase with ''tuer ma mère'' ('to kill my mother').<ref>{{E}} p.269</ref>
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fear, or something else, and yet the mother interprets it in one particular way,
 
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thus determining its meaning retroactively.
 
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      Punctuation is one of the forms which the intervention of the analyst may
 
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take; by punctuating the analysand's discourse in              an unexpected way, the
 
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analyst    can retroactively alter the intended meaning of the analysand's
 
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speech: 'changing the punctuation renews or upsets' the fixed meaning that
 
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the analysand had attributed to his own speech (E, 99). Such punctuation is a
 
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way of 'showing the subject that he is saying more than he thinks he is' (Sl,
 
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54). The analyst can punctuate the analysand's discourse simply by repeating
 
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part of the analysand's speech back to him (perhaps with a different intonation
 
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  or in a different context). For example, if the analysand says tu es ma mËre
 
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('you are my mother'), the analyst may repeat it in such a way as to bring out
 
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the homophony of this phrase with tuer ma mËre ('to kill my mother') (E, 269).
 
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Alternatively, the analyst can also punctuate the analysand's speech by                a
 
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  moment of silence, or by interrupting the analysand, or by terminating the
 
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session at an opportune moment (see E, 44).
 
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      This last form of punctuation has been a source of controversy throughout
 
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the history of Lacanian psychoanalysis, since it contravenes the traditional IPA
 
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practice of sessions of fixed duration. Lacan's practice of sessions of variable
 
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duration (Fr. sÈances scandÈes          - wrongly dubbed 'short sessions' by his
 
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critics) came to be one of the main reasons that the IPA gave for excluding
 
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him when the SFP was negotiating for IPA recognition in the early 1960s.
 
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Today, the technique of punctuation, especially as expressed in the practice of
 
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sessions of variable duration, continues to be a distinctive feature of Lacanian
 
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psychoanalysis.
 
  
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==Sessions of Variable Duration==
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Alternatively, the [[analyst]] can also [[punctuate]] the [[analysand]]'s [[speech]] by a moment of [[silence]], or by interrupting the [[analysand]], or by terminating the [[session]] at an opportune moment.<ref>{{E]] p.44</ref>
  
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This last form of [[punctuation]] has been a source of controversy throughout the history of [[Lacan]]ian [[psychoanalysis]], since it contravenes the traditional [[IPA]] [[practice]] of [[session]]s of [[sessions of variable duration|fixed duration]].
  
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[[Lacan]]'s [[practice]] of [[sessions of variable duration]] ([[French]]: ''[[séances scandées]]'') came to be one of the main reasons that the [[IPA]] gave for excluding him when the [[SFP]] was negotiating for [[IPA]] recognition in the early 1960s.
  
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Today, the [[technique]] of [[punctuation]], especially as expressed in the [[practice]] of [[sessions of variable duration]], continues to be a distinctive feature of [[Lacanian]] [[psychoanalysis]].
  
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==See Also==
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* [[Signifyin chain]]
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* [[Enunciation]]
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* [[Enunciated]]
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* [[Point de capiton]]
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* [[Communication]]
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* [[Demand]]
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* [[Speech]]
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* [[Punctum]]
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* [[Sessions of variable duration]]
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
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[[Category:Lacan]]
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[[Category:Jacques Lacan]]
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[[Category:Dictionary]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
 
[[Category:Concepts]]
 
[[Category:Concepts]]
 
[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
 
[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]

Revision as of 09:25, 26 June 2006

punctuation (French:ponctuation)

To punctuate a signifying chain is to produce meaning.

Before punctuation, there is simply a chain of discourse.

It is the listener/receiver who punctuates this discourse and thereby sanctions retroactively one particular meaning of an utterance.

The punctuation of the signifying chain is that which creates the illusion of a fixed meaning:

"The punctuation, once inserted, fixes the meaning."[1]

This is essential in the structure of communication, where "the sender receives his own message from the receiver."

It is illustrated in the "elementary cell" of the graph of desire.

Examples

The operation of punctuation may be illustrated by reference to two situations which are of fundamental importance to psychoanalysis: the mother-child dual relation, and the transferential relation between analysand and analyst.

Mother-Child Relation

In the first of these situations, the baby who has not yet acquired speech can only articulate his needs in a very primitive kind of demand, namely by screaming.

There is no way of knowing for sure whether a scream articulates hunger, pain, tiredness, fear, or something else, and yet the mother interprets it in one particular way, thus determining its meaning retroactively.

Analysand-Analyst Relation

Punctuation is one of the forms which the intervention of the analyst may take; by punctuating the analysand's discourse in an unexpected way, the analyst can retroactively alter the intended meaning of the analysand's speech:

"changing the punctuation renews or upsets" the fixed meaning that the analysand had attributed to his own speech.[2]

Such punctuation is a way of "showing the subject that he is saying more than he thinks he is."[3]

The analyst can punctuate the analysand's discourse simply by repeating part of the analysand's speech back to him (perhaps with a different intonation or in a different context).

For example, if the analysand says tu es ma mère ('you are my mother'), the ppanalyst[[ may repeat it in such a way as to bring out the homophony of this phrase with tuer ma mère ('to kill my mother').[4]

Sessions of Variable Duration

Alternatively, the analyst can also punctuate the analysand's speech by a moment of silence, or by interrupting the analysand, or by terminating the session at an opportune moment.[5]

This last form of punctuation has been a source of controversy throughout the history of Lacanian psychoanalysis, since it contravenes the traditional IPA practice of sessions of fixed duration.

Lacan's practice of sessions of variable duration (French: séances scandées) came to be one of the main reasons that the IPA gave for excluding him when the SFP was negotiating for IPA recognition in the early 1960s.

Today, the technique of punctuation, especially as expressed in the practice of sessions of variable duration, continues to be a distinctive feature of Lacanian psychoanalysis.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. p.99
  2. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. p.99
  3. ↑ Template:Sl p.54
  4. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. p.269
  5. ↑ {{E]] p.44
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