Changes

{{Top}}moi]]''; [[German]]: ''[[Ich{{Bottom}}

From very early on in his work, Lacan plays on the fact that the German term which Freud uses (Ich) can be translated into French by two words: moi (the usual term which French psychoanalysts use for Freud's Ich) and je. This had first been pointed out by the French grammarian, …douardPichon (see Roudinesco, 1986: 301). Thus, for example, in his paper on the [[mirror stage]], [[Lacan ]] oscillates between the two terms (Lacan, .<ref>{{L}} 1949). While it is difficult to discern any systematic distinction between the two terms in this paper, it is clear that they are not simply used interchangeably, and in 1956 he is still groping for a way to distinguish clearly between them (S3, 261). It was the publication of Jakobson's paper on shifters in 1957 that allowed Lacan to theorise the distinction more clearly; thus, in 1960, Lacan refers to the je as a SHIFTER, which designates but does not signify the subject of the enunciation (E, 298). Most English translations make Lacan's usage clear by rendering moi as 'ego' and je as 'I'.When Lacan uses the Latin term ego (the term used to translate Freud's Ich in the Standard Edition), he uses it in the same sense as the term moi, but also means it to imply a more direct reference to Anglo-American schools of psychoanalysis, especially EGO-PSYCHOLOGY.Freud's use of the term Ich (ego) is extremely complex and went through many developments throughout the course of his work before coming to denote one of the three agencies of the so-called 'structural model' (the others being the id and the superego). Despite the complexity of Freud's formulations on the ego, Lacan discerns two main approaches to the ego in Freud's work, and points out that they are apparently contradictory. On the one hand, in the context of the theory of narcissism, 'the ego takes sides against the object', whereas on the other hand, in the context of the so-called 'structural model', 'the ego takes sides with the object' (Lacan, 1951b: 11). The former approach places the ego firmly in the libidinal economy and links it with the pleasure principle, whereas the latter approach links the ego to the perception-consciousness system and opposes it to the pleasure principle. Lacan claims too that the apparent contradiction between these two accounts 'disappears when we free ourselves from a naive conception of the reality-principle' (Lacan, 1951b: 11; see REALITY PRINCIPLE). Thus the reality that the ego mediates with, in the latter account, is in fact made out of the pleasure principle which the ego represents in the former account. However, it is arguable whether this argument really resolves the contradiction or whether it does not, in effect, simply privilege the former account at the expense of the latter (see S20, 53, where the ego is said to grow 'in the flowerpot of the pleasure principle').</ref>

Lacan argues that Freud's discovery of the unconscious removed the ego from the central position While it is difficult to which western philosophy, at least since Descartes, had traditionally assigned it. Lacan also argues that discern any systematic distinction between the proponents of ego-psychology betrayed Freud's radical discovery by relocating the ego as the centre of the subject (see AUTONOMOUS EGO). In opposition to two terms in this school of thoughtpaper, Lacan maintains it is clear that the ego is they are not at the centresimply used interchangeably, that the ego and in 1956 he is in fact an objectstill groping for a way to distinguish clearly between them.<ref>{{S3}} p. '261</ref>

The ego is a construction which is formed by identification with the specular image in the MIRROR STAGE. =====Shifter=====It is thus was the place where the subject becomes alienated from himself, transforming himself into the counterpart. This alienation publication of [[Jakobson]]'s paper on which the ego is based is structurally similar to paranoia, which is why Lacan writes [[shifter]]s in 1957 that the ego has a paranoiac structure (E, 20). The ego is thus an imaginary formation, as opposed to the SUBJECT, which is a product of the symbolic (see E, 128). Indeed, the ego is precisely a mÈconnaissance of the symbolic order, the seat of resistance. The ego is structured like a symptom:'The ego is structured exactly like a symptom. At the heart of the subject, it is only a privileged symptom, the human symptom par excellence, the mental illness of man' (Sl, 16).allowed [[Lacan is therefore totally opposed ]] to theorise the ideadistinction more clearly; thus, current in ego-psychology1960, that the aim of psychoanalytic treatment is [[Lacan]] refers to strengthen the ego. Since the ''[[ego is |je]]'the seat of illlusions' (Slas a [[shifter]], 62), to increase its strength would only succeed in increasing which designates but does not [[signify]] the [[subject's alienation. The ego is also the source of resistance to psychoanalytic treatment, and thus to strengthen it would only increase those resistances. Because ]] of its imaginary fixity, the ego is resistant to all subjective growth and change, and to the dialectical movement of desire[[enunciation]]. By undermining the fixity of the ego, psychoanalytic treatment aims to restore the dialectic of desire and reinitiate the coming-into-being of the subject<ref>{{E}} p.298</ref>

Most English translations make [[Lacan ]]'s usage clear by rendering ''[[ego|moi]]'' as "[[ego]]" and ''[[ego|je]]'' as "[[ego|I]]". =====Ego-Psychology=====When [[Lacan]] uses the Latin term [[ego]] (the term used to translate [[Freud]]'s ''[[ego|Ich]]'' in the [[Standard Edition]]), he uses it in the same sense as the term ''[[moi]]'', but also means it to imply a more direct reference to Anglo-American [[school]]s of [[psychoanalysis]], especially [[ego-psychology]]. [[Freud]]'s use of the term ''[[ego|Ich]]'' ([[ego]]) is extremely complex and went through many developments throughout the course of his work before coming to denote one of the three agencies of the so-called "[[ego|structural model]]" (the others being the [[id]] and the [[superego]]).  =====Freud's Approaches to the Ego=====Despite the complexity of [[Freud]]'s formulations on the [[ego]], [[Lacan]] discerns two main approaches to the [[ego]] in [[Freud]]'s [[Works of Sigmund Freud|work]], and points out that they are apparently contradictory.  On the one hand, in the context of the theory of [[narcissism]], "the ego takes sides against the object", whereas on the other hand, in the context of the so-called "[[ego|structural model]]", "the ego takes sides with the object."<ref>{{L}} 1951b: 11</ref>  The former approach places the [[ego]] firmly in the [[libido|libidinal economy]] and links it with the [[pleasure principle]], whereas the latter approach links the [[ego]] to the perception-consciousness system and opposes it to the [[pleasure principle]].  Lacan claims too that the apparent contradiction between these two accounts "disappears when we free ourselves from a naive conception of the reality-principle."<ref>{{L}} 1951b: 11</ref> Thus the [[reality]] that the [[ego]] mediates with, in the latter account, is in fact made out of the [[pleasure principle]] which the [[ego]] represents in the former account.  However, it is arguable whether this argument really resolves the contradiction or whether it does not, in effect, simply privilege the former account at the expense of the latter. =====Central Position=====[[Lacan]] argues that [[Freud]]'s discovery of the [[unconscious]] removed the [[ego]] from the central position to which [[philosophy|western philosophy]], at least since [[Descartes]], had traditionally assigned it.  [[Lacan]] also argues that the proponents of [[ego-psychology]] betrayed [[Freud]]'s radical discovery by relocating the [[ego]] as the centre of the [[subject]].  In opposition to this [[school]] of thought, [[Lacan]] maintains that the [[ego]] is not at the centre, that the [[ego]] is in fact an [[object]]. ' =====Identification=====The [[ego]] is a construction which is formed by [[identification]] with the [[specular image]] in the [[Mirror stage]].  =====Alienation=====It is thus the place where the [[subject]] becomes [[alienate]]d from himself, transforming himself into the [[counterpart]].  =====Paranoiac Structure=====This [[alienation]] on which the [[ego]] is based is [[structure|structurally]] similar to [[paranoia]], which is why [[Lacan]] writes that the [[ego]] has a [[paranoiac]] [[structure]].<ref>{{E}} p. 20</ref>  =====Imaginary Formation=====The [[ego]] is thus an [[imaginary]] [[formation]], as opposed to the [[subject]], which is a product of the [[symbolic]].<ref>{{E}} p. 128</ref>  =====Méconnaissance=====Indeed, the [[ego]] is precisely a [[méconnaissance]] of the [[symbolic order]], the seat of [[resistance]].  =====Symptom=====The [[ego]] is [[structure]]d like a [[symptom]]: <blockquote>"The ego is structured exactly like a symptom. At the heart of the subject, it is only a privileged symptom, the human symptom par excellence, the mental illness of man."<ref>{{S1}} p. 16</ref></blockquote> =====Analytic Treatment=====[[Lacan]] is therefore totally opposed to the idea, current in [[ego-psychology ]], that the [[end of analysis|aim]] of [[psychoanalytic treatment]] is to strengthen the [[ego]].  Since the [[ego]] is "the seat of illlusions",<ref>{{S1}} p. 62</ref> to increase its strength would only succeed in increasing the [[subject]]'s [[alienation]].  =====Resistance=====The [[ego]] is also the source of [[resistance]] to [[psychoanalytic]] [[treatment]], and thus to strengthen it would only increase those [[resistance]]s.  Because of its [[imaginary]] fixity, the [[ego]] is resistant to all subjective growth and change, and to the [[dialectic|dialectical movement]] of [[desire]].  By undermining the fixity of the [[ego]], [[psychoanalytic treatment]] aims to restore the [[dialectic]] of [[desire]] and reinitiate the [[being|coming-into-being]] of the [[subject]]. =====Adaptation=====[[Lacan]] is opposed to the [[ego-psychology]] view which takes the [[ego ]] of the [[analysand ]] to be the ally of the [[analyst ]] in the [[treatment]].  He also rejects the view that the [[end of analysis|aim ]] of [[psychoanalytic treatment ]] is to promote the ADAPTATION [[adaptation]] of the [[ego ]] to [[reality]].