Eric Laurent
| Eric Laurent | |
|---|---|
| Identity | |
| Nationality | French |
| Epistemic Position | |
| Tradition | Lacanian psychoanalysis |
| Methodology | Structuralism, Post-structuralism |
| Fields | Psychoanalysis, Clinical Theory, Logic, Epistemology |
| Conceptual Payload | |
| Core Concepts | Logic of the Symptom, Discourse Theory, Clinic of the Real, Subject of Science
|
| Associated Concepts | Symptom, Discourse, The Real, Subject, Clinic |
| Key Works | La bataille de l’autisme, Lost in Cognition, L’envers de la biopolitique |
| Theoretical Cluster | Subjectivity, Symptom, Discourse, The Real |
| Psychoanalytic Relation | |
| Laurent’s elaboration of the logic of the symptom and his theorization of the clinic of the real have shaped the orientation of contemporary Lacanian psychoanalysis, especially in relation to the clinic of psychosis, autism, and the transformations of discourse in late modernity. His work has been central to the transmission and renewal of Lacanian theory after Lacan, influencing both clinical practice and the conceptual apparatus of psychoanalysis. | |
| To Lacan | Direct disciple and interlocutor; extended and systematized Lacan’s late teaching. |
| To Freud | Interpreted Freud through Lacanian frameworks; foregrounded the Freudian symptom in contemporary clinical theory. |
| Referenced By | Jacques-Alain Miller, Slavoj Žižek, Colette Soler, Pierre-Gilles Guéguen
|
| Lineage | |
| Influences | Jacques Lacan, Sigmund Freud, Jacques-Alain Miller
|
| Influenced | Contemporary Lacanian analysts, clinical theorists, interdisciplinary scholars
|
Eric Laurent is a French psychoanalyst and theorist whose work has been foundational for the development of contemporary Lacanian psychoanalysis. Renowned for his rigorous elaboration of the logic of the symptom, the transformation of discourse, and the clinic of the real, Laurent has played a pivotal role in extending and systematizing the legacy of Jacques Lacan, especially in relation to the clinic of psychosis, autism, and the challenges of late modernity.
Intellectual Context and Biography
Eric Laurent emerged as a central figure in the Lacanian field during the late twentieth century, closely associated with the École de la Cause freudienne and the international Lacanian movement.[1] His intellectual trajectory is marked by a sustained engagement with the late teaching of Lacan, as well as a critical dialogue with the philosophical and scientific currents shaping the postwar French context.
Early Formation
Laurent’s early formation was shaped by the structuralist and post-structuralist milieu of Paris, where he encountered the work of Lacan and became a direct participant in the seminars and institutional projects of the Lacanian School.[2] His background in logic and epistemology informed his approach to psychoanalytic theory, privileging the formalization of clinical experience and the articulation of psychoanalysis with contemporary science.
Major Turning Points
A decisive turning point in Laurent’s intellectual development was his engagement with Lacan’s later seminars, particularly those addressing the logic of the symptom, the four discourses, and the clinic of the real.[3] Laurent became a key interlocutor in the transmission of Lacan’s teaching, contributing to the elaboration of the “orientation towards the real” and the theorization of new clinical phenomena such as autism and the transformations of subjectivity in contemporary society.
Core Concepts
Logic of the Symptom
Laurent’s most influential conceptual contribution is his rigorous elaboration of the logic of the symptom. Drawing on Lacan’s later work, Laurent reconceptualizes the symptom not merely as a formation of the unconscious but as a singular mode of jouissance that resists reduction to meaning.[4] The symptom, for Laurent, is a knotting of the real, symbolic, and imaginary registers, irreducible to interpretation alone and requiring a new logic of clinical intervention.
Discourse Theory
Building on Lacan’s theory of the four discourses, Laurent has explored the transformations of discourse in late modernity, particularly the rise of the discourse of the capitalist and its effects on subjectivity.[5] He analyzes how contemporary forms of power, knowledge, and enjoyment reshape the conditions of psychoanalytic practice, emphasizing the necessity of rethinking the clinic in light of these discursive shifts.
Clinic of the Real
Laurent has been a leading theorist of the “clinic of the real,” a clinical orientation that foregrounds the irreducible dimension of the real in psychic life.[6] This approach is particularly salient in the treatment of psychosis, autism, and phenomena that elude classical Freudian frameworks. The clinic of the real privileges invention, singular solutions, and the construction of new forms of subjectivity.
Subject of Science
Laurent has interrogated the relation between psychoanalysis and contemporary science, especially neuroscience and cognitive science.[7] He argues that psychoanalysis must maintain its specificity as a discourse on the subject, irreducible to the objectifying gaze of science, while nonetheless engaging critically with scientific developments.
Relation to Psychoanalysis
Laurent’s relation to psychoanalysis is both direct and mediated. As a direct disciple of Lacan, Laurent participated in the elaboration and transmission of Lacan’s late teaching, especially regarding the logic of the symptom and the clinic of the real.[8] His work is marked by a fidelity to the Freudian discovery of the unconscious, but always refracted through the lens of Lacanian formalization.
Freud’s concept of the symptom is reinterpreted by Laurent as a singular solution to the impasses of jouissance, rather than a mere compromise formation.[9] Laurent’s engagement with Lacan is both exegetical and innovative: he clarifies, systematizes, and extends Lacan’s late teaching, especially in relation to the clinic of psychosis and autism.
The influence is also mediated through figures such as Jacques-Alain Miller, who played a central role in the transmission of Lacan’s work and with whom Laurent has collaborated extensively. Laurent’s theorization of discourse and the real has been crucial for the orientation of the Lacanian field in the post-Lacanian era.
Reception in Psychoanalytic Theory
Laurent’s work has been widely cited and debated within the Lacanian field and beyond. Figures such as Jacques-Alain Miller, Slavoj Žižek, Colette Soler, and Pierre-Gilles Guéguen have engaged with Laurent’s concepts, particularly his theorization of the symptom and the clinic of the real.[10] Laurent’s interventions in the debates on autism, biopolitics, and the relation between psychoanalysis and science have provoked both endorsement and critique, especially regarding the limits of interpretation and the necessity of invention in the clinic.
Laurent’s influence extends to interdisciplinary fields, including philosophy, political theory, and clinical psychology, where his work on discourse and the real has informed debates on subjectivity, power, and the limits of knowledge.
Key Works
- La bataille de l’autisme (2012): A critical intervention in the debates on autism, foregrounding the specificity of the psychoanalytic clinic and the necessity of invention in the treatment of autistic subjects.
- Lost in Cognition: Psychoanalysis and Neurosciences: Explores the relation between psychoanalysis and contemporary neuroscience, defending the specificity of the psychoanalytic discourse and the irreducibility of the subject.
- L’envers de la biopolitique: Une écriture pour la jouissance (2016): Examines the transformations of discourse and power in contemporary society, articulating a psychoanalytic perspective on biopolitics and the clinic of the real.
Influence and Legacy
Eric Laurent’s impact on contemporary psychoanalysis is profound. He has shaped the orientation of the Lacanian field after Lacan, especially in relation to the clinic of psychosis, autism, and the transformations of discourse in late modernity.[11] His rigorous formalization of the logic of the symptom and his theorization of the clinic of the real have influenced both clinical practice and the conceptual apparatus of psychoanalysis. Laurent’s work continues to inform debates on the relation between psychoanalysis and science, the ethics of the clinic, and the future of subjectivity in a rapidly changing world.
See also
References
- ↑ Laurent, E. Lost in Cognition: Psychoanalysis and Neurosciences. Paris: Éditions de la Cause freudienne.
- ↑ Laurent, E. La bataille de l’autisme. Paris: Navarin, 2012.
- ↑ Laurent, E. L’envers de la biopolitique: Une écriture pour la jouissance. Paris: Navarin, 2016.
- ↑ Laurent, E. Lost in Cognition: Psychoanalysis and Neurosciences.
- ↑ Laurent, E. L’envers de la biopolitique.
- ↑ Laurent, E. La bataille de l’autisme.
- ↑ Laurent, E. Lost in Cognition: Psychoanalysis and Neurosciences.
- ↑ Laurent, E. L’envers de la biopolitique.
- ↑ Laurent, E. La bataille de l’autisme.
- ↑ Guéguen, P.-G. La psychanalyse, aujourd’hui. Paris: Navarin, 2015.
- ↑ Laurent, E. L’envers de la biopolitique.