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====Sigmund Freud======Death Drive and Freud ==="Beyond the Pleasure Principle"=====

=====Life and Death Drives=====In this work [[Freud]] established a fundamental opposition between [[death drive|life drive]]s (''[[eros]]''), conceived of as a tendency towards cohesion and unity, and the [[death drive]]s, which operate in the opposite direction, undoing connections and destroying things. However, the [[life drive]]s and the [[death drive]]s are never found in a pure state, but always mixed/fused together in differing proportions. Indeed, [[Freud]] argued that were it not for this fusion with [[erotism]], the [[death drive]] would elude our perception, since in itself it is [[death drive|silent]] (Freud, 193÷a    The concept of the death drive was one of the most controversial concepts introduced by Freud, and many of his disciples rejected it (regarding it as mere poetry or as an unjustifiable incursion into metaphysics), 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.  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' (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=====Silent Death Drive=====Indeed, in the 1950s[[Freud]] argued that were it not for this fusion with [[death drive|erotism]], he does not situate the [[death drive ]] would elude our perception, since in the imaginary but in the symbolic.He argues that th itself it is [[death drive is simply the fundamental tendency of the symbolic order to produce |silent]].<ref>{{F}} ''[[Civilization and Its Discontents]]'', 1930a. [[repetitionSE]]XXI, 59.</ref>

"=====Controversy=====The concept of the [[death instinct is only drive]] was one of the mask most controversial [[:category:concepts|concepts]] introduced by [[Freud]], and many of his disciples rejected it (regarding it as mere poetry or as an unjustifiable incursion into [[philosophy|metaphysics]]), but [[Freud]] continued to reaffirm the concept for the symbolic orderrest of his life."<ref>s2 326</ref>

This shift also marks a difference with Freud, for whom Of the death drive was closely bound up with biiology[[school|non-Lacanian]] [[school]]s of [[psychoanalytic theory]], representing only [[Kleinian psychoanalysis]] takes the fundamental tendency of every living thing to return to an inorganic stateconcept seriously.

by situating the death drive firmly ====Jacques Lacan=========Psychoanalysis=====[[Lacan]] follows [[Freud]] in reaffirming the symbolic Lacan articulates it with cultural rather than nature; he states that concept of the [[death drive "is not a question of biology," and must be distinguished from the biological instinct ]] as central to return to the inanimate.<ref>E 102; s7 211-12</ref>[[psychoanalysis]]:

Another difference between =====Nostalgia=====In [[Lacan]]'s concept of first remarks on the [[death drive and Freud]], in 1938, he describes it as a [[nostalgia]] for a [[preoedipal|lost harmony]], a [[desire]] to [[return]] to the [[preoedipal|preoedipal fusion]] with the [[mother]]'s emerges [[breast]], the [[castration|loss]] of which is marked on the [[psyche]] in 1964the [[complex|weaning complex]].<ref>{{1938}} p.35</ref>

Freud opposed =====Narcissism=====In 1946 he links 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 [[narcissism|suicidal tendency]] of every drive[[narcissism]].<ref>{{Ec}} p.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 suffering186</ref>.

(''[[Todestriebe]]'' or ''[[Thanatos]]'').=====Repetition=====The former is concerned with the creation of cohesion and unity; the latter with the undoing of connections and In the destruction of unity.According to [[Freudseminar]]of 1954-5, for example, he argues that the [[death drive]] exhibits is simply the fundamental 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 the [[objectsymbolic order]].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 produce [[aggressivity|aggressiverepetition]] or destructive behavior.:

<blockquote>"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 a |death drive as mere speculation on Freud's part, but Klein adopts it whole-heartedly, regarding instinct]] is only the tyranny mask of the early [[superego]] as it crushes the young child's [[egosymbolic order]] 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"<ref>{{S2}} p.)326</ref>

==Death Drive and Lacan===Biological Instincts=====This shift also marks a difference with [[Jacques LacanFreud]] (following Freud) reaffirms the concept of , for whom the [[death drive]] as central to was closely bound up with [[psychoanalysisbiology]]. [[Lacan]] wrote: ", representing the fundamental tendency of every living thing to ignore the death instinct in his [Freud's] doctrine is return to misunderstand that doctrine entirelyan inorganic state."<ref>E, 301</ref>

In 1938, [[Lacan]] describes By situating the [[death drive]] as a firmly in the [[nostalgia]] for a [[lost harmonysymbolic]], a [[desireLacan]] to [[return]] to the [[preoedipal]] fusion articulates it with the culture rather than [[mothernature]]'s [[breast]], ; he states that the [[lossdeath drive]] "is not a question of which is marked on the [[psyche]] in the [[weaning complex]].<ref>Lacanbjology, 1938: 35"</ref>In 1946, [[Lacan]] associates the [[death drive]] with the [[suicide|suicidal tendency]] of [[narcissism]]{{E}} p.<ref>Ec, 186102</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 must be distinguished from the [[symbolicbiological]].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]] [[orderinstinct]] to produce [[repetition]]."The death instinct is only return to the mask of the symbolic orderinanimate."<ref>S2, 326{{S7}} p. 211-12</ref>

==Death Drive and Biology===Sexual Drives=====For Freud, the [[death drive]] was closely bound up with [[biology]].Another difference between [[Lacan]] situates 's concept of the [[death drive]] in the and [[symbolicFreud]]'s emerges in 1964.[[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.]] [[Lacandrive]] rejects Freud's thesis of a duality of life and death drives., but now [[Lacan]] argues that the [[death drive]] is an aspect of every [[drive]].The not a separate [[death drive]] , but is in fact an aspect of every [[drive]].

<blockquote>"The distinction between the [[death drive|life drive ]] and the [[death drive ]] is - true in as much as it manifests two aspects of the [[drive]]."<ref>gl 20{{S11}} p. 257</ref>

Hence [[Lacan]] writes that "every [[drive ]] is virtually a [[death drive;]]"<ref>Ec, 844</ref> because:

# 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>

====See Also===={{Also}}* [[Biology]]

==Look Up==Slavoj Žižek====More information about the [[death drive]] can be found at the following reference(s):<ref>* {{Z}} ''[[Books by Slavoj Žižek|Conversations]]''. pp. 3, 1, 64-5, 94, 135 Conversations.</ref>

====References====

[[Category:TermsFreudian psychology]]

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