Little Other

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The little other (French: l’autre, often denoted as a) is a foundational concept in Lacanian psychoanalysis, referring to the specular counterpart, rival, or mirror image that belongs to the Imaginary register. Introduced by Jacques Lacan, the little other is the figure with whom the subject identifies or competes, especially in early developmental phases and throughout interpersonal relations. It is sharply contrasted with the Big Other (le grand Autre, A), which represents the Symbolic order of language, law, and authority.

The little other plays a central role in the formation of the ego, the dynamics of identification and rivalry, and the narcissistic structure of Imaginary relations.


Definition and Function

The little other is defined by its position in the Imaginary order—the realm of images, specular relations, and misrecognition. It represents the ego’s alter ego or rival, often a mirror image, sibling, peer, or love object, with whom the subject relates in narcissistic identification or rivalry.

Lacan’s conceptual distinction is as follows:

  • The little other (a, l’autre) – a specular counterpart or Imaginary rival
  • The Big Other (A, l’Autre) – the symbolic locus of law, language, and desire[1]

Whereas the Big Other structures subjectivity via the symbolic, the little other operates at the level of duality, sameness, and misrecognition.

Mirror Stage and Ego Formation

The little other is first articulated in Lacan’s theory of the Mirror stage, in which an infant sees its reflection in a mirror and jubilantly identifies with the unified image. However, this image is also a misrecognition (méconnaissance), as it conceals the infant’s lived experience of bodily fragmentation and lack of coordination.[2]

This mirror image—the first little other—functions as the prototype of the ego, producing an identity grounded in alienation and visual coherence. The subject henceforth encounters others in terms of reflected sameness and rivalry.

Rivalry, Aggression, and Imaginary Relations

Imaginary relations with the little other are often marked by rivalry, aggression, and narcissistic tension. Because the little other is perceived as similar to the subject, but also distinct and potentially threatening, interactions are frequently competitive or hostile.

These relations characterize:

  • Sibling or peer rivalry
  • Romantic jealousy
  • Identification with or rejection of the ego-ideal

The Imaginary structure thus gives rise to dual relations in which the subject sees itself in the other, but also competes for recognition, mastery, or love.[1]

Symbolic Contrast: Big Other vs. Little other

The Big Other is the symbolic function that mediates desire, law, and meaning. The little other, by contrast, is embedded in imaginary misrecognition and dualistic identification. While the Big Other speaks through language and authority, the little other operates through image and likeness.

Understanding this distinction is crucial in Lacanian theory, where misidentifying symbolic positions as merely interpersonal (imaginary) can obstruct psychoanalytic insight.

Desire, Fantasy, and the Object a

In Lacan’s formula of fantasy ($\,\Diamond\,a$), the objet petit a (object-cause of desire) is often tied to the little other—the imaginary figure who possesses or embodies the object of desire. This links the little other to the construction of fantasy scenarios, in which:

  • The little other appears as a rival or mirror of desire
  • The subject’s own lack is projected onto or located in the little other
  • Desire is mediated through identification or competition[3]

Clinical Significance

In the psychoanalytic clinic, the little other emerges in transference and identification, especially where the patient relates to the analyst or others through imaginary images. Symptoms may reflect unresolved conflicts with little others—siblings, rivals, love objects—who function as ego counterparts.

A key task of analysis is to traverse the Imaginary, moving from ego-based identifications to symbolic interpretation. The analyst must resist being reduced to a little other and instead occupy the place of the subject supposed to know, a symbolic position associated with the Big Other.[4]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Evans, Dylan. An Introductory Dictionary of Lacanian Psychoanalysis. London: Routledge, 1996.
  2. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. New York: W. W. Norton, 1977, pp. 1–7.
  3. ↑ Fink, Bruce. The Lacanian Subject: Between Language and Jouissance. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995, pp. 60–63.
  4. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. The Seminar, Book XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis (1964). Ed. Jacques-Alain Miller. Trans. Alan Sheridan. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978.
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