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[[Image:Kida_d.gif|right|frame|[[Kid A In Alphabet Land]]]]{{Top}}[[pulsion ]] de [[mort]]]]''; |-|| [[German]]: ''[[Todestrieb{{Bottom}}

==Death Drive and Freud ==Although intimations of the concept of the Here he established a fundamental opposition between [[death drive|life drive]] can be found early on in s (''[[Freuderos]]'s '), conceived of as a tendency towards [[cohesion]] and [[unity]], and the [[Works of Sigmund Freud|workdeath drive]]s, it was only which operate in ''the opposite direction, [[Beyond the Pleasure Principleundoing]]'' (1920) that the concept was fully articulatedconnections and destroying things.

In this work The concept of the [[Freuddeath drive]] established a fundamental opposition between was one of the most controversial [[life drive:category:concepts|concepts]]s (''introduced by [[erosFreud]]''), conceived and many of as a tendency towards cohesion and unityhis disciples rejected it, and but [[Freud]] continued to reaffirm the concept for the rest of his [[death drivelife]]s, which operate in the opposite direction, undoing connections and destroying things.

However, ==Jacques Lacan=====Psychoanalysis===[[Lacan]] follows [[Freud]] in reaffirming the concept of the [[life death drive]]s and as central to [[psychoanalysis]]: <blockquote>"To ignore the [[death driveinstinct]]in his [Freud's are never found in a pure state, but always mixed] [[doctrine]] is to misunderstand that doctrine entirely."<ref>{{E}} p. 301</ref></fused together in differing proportions.blockquote>

Indeed===Nostalgia===In [[Lacan]]'s first remarks on the [[death drive]], in 1938, he describes it as a [[Freudnostalgia]] argued that were it not for this a [[preoedipal|lost harmony]], a [[desire]] to [[return]] to the [[preoedipal|preoedipal fusion ]] with the [[erotismmother]]'s [[breast]], the [[death drivecastration|loss]] of which is marked on the [[psyche]] would elude our perception, since in itself it is the [[death drivecomplex|silentweaning complex]] (Freud, 193÷a.<ref>{{1938}} p. 35</ref>

The ===Symbolic Order===However, when [[Lacan]] begins to develop his concept of the [[order|three orders]] of [[imaginary]], [[symbolic]] and [[real]], in the 1950s, he does not situate the [[death drive was one of ]] in the [[imaginary]] but in the most controversial concepts[[symbolic]].

introduced by Freud===Repetition===In the [[seminar]] of 1954-5, for example, and many he argues that the [[death drive]] is simply the fundamental tendency of his disciples rejected it (regarding it as merethe [[symbolic order]] to produce [[repetition]]:

to reaffirm ===Biological Instincts===This shift also marks a [[difference]] with [[Freud]], for whom the concept for [[death drive]] was closely bound up with [[biology]], representing the rest fundamental tendency of his lifeevery [[living]] [[thing]] to return to an inorganic [[state]]. Of the non-Lacanian schools of

psychoanalytic theoryBy situating the [[death drive]] firmly in the [[symbolic]], [[Lacan]] articulates it with [[culture]] rather than [[nature]]; he states that the [[death drive]] "is not a question of biology, only Kleinian psychoanalysis takes "<ref>{{E}} p. 102</ref>, and must be distinguished from the [[biological]] [[instinct]] to return to the conceptinanimate.<ref>{{S7}} p. 211-12</ref>

seriously===Sexual Drives===[[Another]] difference between [[Lacan]]'s concept of the [[death drive]] and [[Freud]]'s emerges in 1964.

Lacan follows [[Freud in reaffirming ]] opposed the [[death drive]] to the concept of [[sexual]] [[drive]]s, but now [[Lacan]] argues that the [[death drive as central]] is not a [[separate]] [[drive]], but is in fact an aspect of every [[drive]].

to psychoanalysis: 'to ignore <blockquote>"The [[distinction]] between the [[death drive|life drive]] and the [[death instinct drive]] is - [[true]] in his as much as it manifests two aspects of the [Freud's[drive] doctrine is to]."<ref>{{S11}} p. 257</ref></blockquote>

misunderstand that doctrine entirely' (E, 301).  In Lacan's first remarks on the death drive, in 1938, he describes it as a nostalgia for a lost harmony, a desire to return to the preoedipal fusion with the  mother's breast, the loss of which is marked on the psyche in the weaning complex (Lacan, 1938: 35). In 1946 he links the death drive to the suicidal tendency of narcissism (Ec, 186). By linking the death drive with the pre- oedipal phase and with narcissism, these early remarks would place the death drive in what Lacan later comes to call the imaginary order.  However, when Lacan begins to develop his concept of the three orders of imaginary, symbolic and real, in the 1950s, he does not situate the death drive  in the imaginary but in the symbolic. In the seminar of 1954-5, for example, he  argues that the death drive is simply the fundamental tendency of the symbolic order to produce REPETITION; 'The death instinct is only the mask of the symbolic order' (S2, 326). This shift also marks a difference with Freud, for whom the death drive was closely bound up with biology, representing the fundamental tendency of every living thing to return to an inorganic state. By situating the death drive firmly in the symbolic, Lacan articulates it with culture rather than nature; he states that the death drive 'is not a question of bjology' (E, 102), and must be distinguished from the biological instinct to return to the inanimate (S7, 211-12).  Another difference between Lacan's concept of the death drive and Freud's emerges in 1964. Freud opposed the death drive to the sexual drives, but now Lacan argues that the death drive is not a separate drive, but is in fact an aspect - of every DRIVE. 'The distinction between the life drive and the death drive is -  true in as much as it manifests two aspects of the drive' (gl 20). Hence Lacan writes that 'every drive is virtually a death drive' (Ec, 844); because (i) every drive pursues its own extinction, (ii) every drive involves the subject in repetition, and (iii) every drive is an attempt to go beyond the pleasure principle, to the realm of exceSS JOUISSANCE where enjoyment is experienced  as suffering.  == ''Pulsion de mort'' ==In ''Beyond the Pleasure Principle'' (1920) Freud established a fundamental opposited between life and drives (eros), conceived of as a tendency towards cohesion and unity, and the death drives, which operate in the opposite direction, undoing connections and destroying things. However the life drives and the death drives are never found in a pure state, but always mixed/fused together in differing proportions. Indeed, Freud argued that were it not for this fusuion with rotism, the death drive would elude our perception, since in itself it is silent.<ref>Freud 1930a: Se XXI, 120</ref>  The concept of the death drive was one of the most controversial concepts introduced by Freud, and many of his disciplies rejected it, but Freud continued to reaffirm the concept for the rest of his life. Lacan follows Freud in reaffirming the concept of the death drive as central to psychoanalysis. "To ignore the death instinct in his [Freud's] doctrine is to misunderstand that doctrine entirely.'<ref> e 310</ref> In [Lacan's first remarks on the death drive, in 1938, he describes it as a nostalgia for a lost harmony, a desire to return to the preoedipal fusion with the mother's breast, the loss of which is marked on the psyche in the weaning complex. In 1946 he links the death drive to the suicidal tendency of narcissism.  However when Lacan begins to develop his concept of the three orders, in the 1950s, he does not situate the death drive in the imaginary but in the symbolic.He argues that th death drive is simply the fundamental tendency of the symbolic order to produce [[repetition]]. "the death instinct is only the mask of the symbolic order."<ref>s2 326</ref> This shift also marks a difference with Freud, for whom the death drive was closely bound up with biiology, representing the fundamental tendency of every living thing to return to an inorganic state. by situating the death drive firmly in the symbolic Lacan articulates it with cultural rather than nature; he states that the death drive "is not a question of biology," and must be distinguished from the biological instinct to return to the inanimate.<ref>E 102; s7 211-12</ref>  Another difference between Lacan's concept of the death drive and Freud's emerges in 1964. Freud opposed the death drive to the sexual drives, but now Lacan argues that the death drive is not a separate drive, but is in fact an aspect of every drive.Hence Lacan writes that "every drive is virutally a death drive" because every drive pursures its own extinction, involves the subject in repetition, and constitutes an attempt to go beyond the pleasure principle, to the realm of excss ''jouissance'' where enjoyment is experienced as suffering.    (''[[Todestriebe]]'' or ''[[Thanatos]]'').The former is concerned with the creation of cohesion and unity; the latter with the undoing of connections and the destruction of unity.According to [[Freud]], the [[death drive]] exhibits the tendency of all living beings to return to an inorganic state.All drives are regressive in that they seek to return to an earlier state or to recover a lost [[object]].Initially inward-directed, the death drive first manifests its existence in the human tendency to self-destruction; as it subsequently turns to the outside world, it takes the form of [[aggressivity|aggressive]] or destructive behavior. The theory of the death drive is, by Freud's own admission, speculative, and is grounded in the ddescriptions of the [[compulsion to repeat]].The fact that Freucd describes the death drive as 'silent' makes it difficult to supply concrete clinical evidence for its existence and the notion remains controversal, even though Freud continues to uphold it in his very last writings.Many post-Freudian analysts dismiss the notion of virtually a death drive as mere speculation on Freud's part, but Klein adopts it whole-heartedly, regarding the tyranny of the early [[superego]] as it crushes the young child's [[ego]] as the first clinical manifestation of its power.(The concept of the death drive was one of the most controversial concepts introduced by Freud, and many of his disciples rejected it, but Freud continued to reaffirm the concept for the rest of his life. Of the non-Lacanian schools of psychoanalytic theory, only Kleinian psychoanalysis takes the concept seriously.) ==Death Drive and Lacan==[[Jacques Lacan]] (following Freud) reaffirms the concept of the [[death drive]] as central to [[psychoanalysis]]. [[Lacan]] wrote: "to ignore the death instinct in his [Freud's] doctrine is to misunderstand that doctrine entirely."<ref>E, 301</ref> In 1938, [[Lacan]] describes the [[death drive]] as a [[nostalgia]] for a [[lost harmony]], a [[desire]] to [[return]] to the [[preoedipal]] fusion with the [[mother]]'s [[breast]], the [[loss]] of which is marked on the [[psyche]] in the [[weaning complex]].<ref>Lacan, 1938because: 35</ref>In 1946, [[Lacan]] associates the [[death drive]] with the [[suicide|suicidal tendency]] of [[narcissism]].<ref>Ec, 186</ref>In the 1950s, [[Lacan]] does not situate the [[death drive]] in the [[imaginary]] (despite its association with the [[preoedipal phase]] and [[narcissism]]), but rather in the [[symbolic]].In the 1954-5 seminar, ''[[The Ego in Freud's Theory and in the Technique of Psychoanalysis]]'', Lacan states that the [[death drive]] is simply the fundamental tendency of the [[symbolic]] [[order]] to produce [[repetition]]."The death instinct is only the mask of the symbolic order."<ref>S2, 326</ref> ==Death Drive and Biology==For Freud, the [[death drive]] was closely bound up with [[biology]].[[Lacan]] situates the [[death drive]] in the [[symbolic]].[[Lacan]] articulates it with culture rather than nature.[[Lacan]] states that the death drive "is not a question of biology."<ref>E, 102</ref> The [[death drive]] is not the [[biology|biological]] [[instinct]] to return to the inanimate.<ref>S7, 211-12</ref> ==Death Drive and Drives==Another difference between Lacan's concept of the death drive and Freud's emerges in 1964.Freud opposed the death drive to the sexual drives.[[Lacan]] rejects Freud's thesis of a duality of life and death drives.[[Lacan]] argues that the [[death drive]] is an aspect of every [[drive]].The [[death drive]] is an aspect of every [[drive]]. "The distinction between the life drive and the death drive is - true in as much as it manifests two aspects of the drive."<ref>gl 20</ref> [[Lacan]] writes that "every drive is virtually a death drive;"<ref>Ec, 844</ref> because

# every [[drive]] involves the [[subject ]] in [[repetition]], and # every [[drive]] is an attempt to go beyond the [[beyond the pleasure principle]], to the realm of [[excess ]] ''[[jouissance]] '' where [[enjoyment ]] is experienced as suffering. The death drive strives, in Lacan's view, to go beyond the [[pleasure principle]] and to attain the painful joys of [[jouissancesadism|suffering]].<ref>{{Ec}} p. 844</ref>

[[Category:TermsFreudian psychology]]

[[Category:Concepts]][[Category:Freudian psychologySymbolic]]