Escuela Freudiana de la Argentina
The Escuela Freudiana de la Argentina (EFA), also known as the Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires (EFBA), is a Lacanian psychoanalytic school and training institute headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded on 28 June 1974 by Oscar Masotta and others, it was the first Lacanian school established outside France and, following the 1980 dissolution of Jacques Lacan's École Freudienne de Paris (EFP), became the oldest continuously operating Lacanian school in the world.[1][2]
| Escuela Freudiana de la Argentina | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | Psychoanalytic school |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder(s) | Oscar Masotta |
| Key figures | Oscar Masotta |
| Orientation | Lacanian |
| Institutional context | |
| Predecessor | Cuadernos Sigmund Freud; Jornadas Sigmund Freud |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Geographic scope | National |
| Training function | Red de Enseñanza; Cartels; The Pass |
| Publications | Cuadernos Sigmund Freud; Newsletter EFBA; Editorial de la Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires |
Dedicated to the "return to Sigmund Freud" as articulated in Lacan's teachings, the EFA emerged in response to the perceived bureaucratization and hierarchical degradation of traditional psychoanalytic institutions, particularly the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) affiliates in Argentina.[2][3] It operates independently of the IPA and emphasizes non-hierarchical structures inspired by Lacan, including cartels and the pass for analyst formation.
History
Precursors and Origins
The origins of the EFA trace to informal study groups on Lacan's work led by Oscar Masotta starting in 1964, including readings of Écrits and Freud's texts.[1][4] Key precursors included the publication of Cuadernos Sigmund Freud, the 1969 visit of Octave Mannoni and Maud Mannoni, and the "Jornadas Sigmund Freud" events, which fostered spontaneous groups for mutual supervision and theoretical work outside official psychoanalytic institutions.[1][4]
Most founders had not belonged to IPA-affiliated societies, positioning the EFA as an alternative to the established psychoanalytic circuit in Argentina.[4]
Founding (1974)
The EFA was formally founded on 28 June 1974 in Buenos Aires through the signing of a foundational act by Masotta and others, explicitly invoking Lacan's call for a return to Freud amid the "profound disorientation" in international psychoanalysis.[1][2][5] Masotta presented the school to Lacan in Paris in 1975.[1]
Growth and Splits
Over 46 years by 2020, the EFA experienced schisms and offshoots, yet maintained ties with many resulting Lacanian groups in Argentina.[2] It established the Red Clínica in 2003 for community consultations and supervision, and an editorial arm in the same year.[2]
Organizational Structure
The EFA rejects traditional hierarchies, adopting Lacanian devices to distribute power and foster transmission without "pyramids of power."[2][3]
Governance
Governed by a non-hierarchical directorate, it emphasizes collective responsibility through seminars, cartels, and juries rather than a centralized board.[2]
Membership Categories
- Analistas Miembros de la Escuela (AME): Full members who lead seminars and contribute to teaching.
- Analysts in Formation: Participants in the Red de Enseñanza.[3]
Formation of Analysts
Training occurs via the Red de Enseñanza, comprising seminars, clinical supervision, and cartels—small working groups of four members plus a "plus-one" to study specific themes, bypassing hierarchical education as proposed by Lacan.[3][2]
The Pass (Pase)
The EFA employs the pass, Lacan's procedure for verifying the end of analysis: the aspiring analyst submits a testimony to passeurs (former analysts who have passed), reviewed by a jury for nomination as Analyste de l'École (AE).[2] This distinguishes authorization from mere certification.
Key Concepts and Orientation
Aligned with Lacan's teachings, the EFA prioritizes the unconscious, the transference, and the "return to Freud," critiquing post-Freudian deviations.[3][2] These inform its anti-hierarchical structure, emphasizing the subject supposed to know and the fundamental fantasy in institutional life.
Notable Members
- Oscar Masotta: Founder; key transmitter of Lacan in Latin America through teaching and publications.[1][5]
Publications
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Scholten, H. (2013). "Sobre la fundación de la Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires (1974)". Aacademica. https://www.aacademica.org/000-054/150.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 "Acerca de la Escuela". Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Oscar Masotta y la fundación de la Escuela Freudiana". ElSigma. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Fundación de la Escuela Freudiana de Buenos Aires". Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Oscar Masotta y la fundación de la Escuela Freudiana". ElSigma. Retrieved 2026-01-31.