There is no sexual relation
There is no sexual relation (French: Il n’y a pas de rapport sexuel) is a central proposition in the later work of Jacques Lacan, developed most explicitly in his Seminar XX: Encore (1972–1973). It expresses a structural insight into the nature of sexuality, desire, and language within Lacanian psychoanalysis.
The phrase does not deny the existence of sexual activity or romantic relationships, but asserts that there is no symbolic or linguistic structure capable of fully representing a reciprocal or complementary relation between the sexes. This impossibility—rooted in the structure of language, subjectivity, and jouissance—has far-reaching implications for Lacanian theory and clinical practice.[1]
Origins and Theoretical Context
Lacan first articulated the formula Il n’y a pas de rapport sexuel in the late 1960s and early 1970s, culminating in his Seminar XX: Encore (1972-1973), where it becomes central to his theories of sexuation, jouissance, and the limits of symbolic inscription. The proposition draws from Lacan’s reinterpretation of Freud’s insights on sexuality, particularly the notion that human sexuality is not biologically determined but psychically and symbolically mediated.[2]
While Freud emphasized the non-harmonious nature of sexual development, Lacan formalized this as a structural impossibility within the symbolic order.[3]
Meaning of the Formula
In Lacanian terms, a relation implies a symbolic function capable of establishing mutual correspondence between two positions. The proposition “there is no sexual relation” means that no such relation can be written in the symbolic order. There is no signifier in language capable of fully articulating a complementary or reciprocal union between the sexes.[1]
In Lacan’s theory, the sexes are not biological categories but symbolic positions, structured around lack, the phallic function, and differing forms of jouissance. These positions are governed by asymmetrical logical structures, making a symmetrical or unified relation impossible.[4]
Formulas of Sexuation
Lacan’s formulas of sexuation, introduced in Seminar XX, provide a formalization of the asymmetry between the masculine and feminine positions:
- The masculine side is governed by the phallic function as a universal law, operating under the logic of all and the existence of an exception.
- The feminine side follows the logic of the not-all (pas-tout), meaning that not all of femininity is inscribed in the phallic function.
This logical dissymmetry shows that the two sides do not constitute complementary halves of a whole; there is no common symbolic denominator uniting them.[1]
Language, Fantasy, and the Symbolic
The impossibility of the sexual relation is rooted in the nature of language. For Lacan, the subject is constituted through signifiers within the symbolic order. Since no signifier exists for sexual difference as such, the relation between the sexes cannot be inscribed or articulated in language.[1][3]
Fantasy (fantasme) functions to cover over this absence. It offers an imaginary scene that stages a pseudo-relation, allowing desire to circulate. Yet fantasy also bears the trace of the very non-relation it attempts to mask.[1]
Desire, Jouissance, and the Non-Relation
The formula is closely linked to Lacan’s theories of desire and jouissance. While desire is structured by lack and addressed to the Other, it can never be fully satisfied. Jouissance—excessive enjoyment beyond the pleasure principle—is singular, not shareable, and often transgressive.[5]
The impossibility of the sexual relation emphasizes that jouissance is not harmonizable between subjects. Though sexual pleasure exists, the underlying structures of enjoyment differ for each sex and do not converge in a mutual symbolic relation.[1]
Feminine Jouissance and the Not-All
Lacan’s theory of feminine jouissance challenges traditional psychoanalytic views. He proposes that women are not-all subject to the phallic function, allowing for a form of jouissance beyond the phallus—sometimes called Other jouissance. This jouissance is unspeakable, non-symbolizable, and occasionally linked to mystical or religious experience.[1]
This "supplementary" jouissance cannot be reduced to an object or integrated into symbolic discourse, reinforcing the impossibility of fully representing sexual difference in relational terms.
Love and Substitutes for the Relation
Despite the absence of a sexual relation, subjects attempt to compensate for this structural gap through love, fantasy, and identification. Lacan’s famous quip—“Love is giving something you don't have to someone who doesn't want it”—captures the paradox of love as a response to lack, not a fulfillment of relational harmony.[1]
Thus, love and desire are not denied by the non-relation; they are made possible by it.
Clinical Implications
In psychoanalytic practice, the formula has deep implications:
- It elucidates the structure of symptoms related to sexual dissatisfaction and relational impasses
- It clarifies the function of fantasy as a substitute for the missing relation
- It reorients analysis away from ideals of completeness toward an ethic of assuming one's division
The analyst’s role is not to restore the (nonexistent) sexual rapport but to help the subject traverse fantasy and reconfigure their relation to desire.[1]
Reception and Interpretation
The formula “there is no sexual relation” has generated extensive commentary across psychoanalysis, feminism, philosophy, and literary theory. Some interpret it as a critique of heteronormative complementarity; others view it as a structuralist insight into the limits of symbolic representation.
Despite its enigmatic character, the formula remains a cornerstone of contemporary Lacanian theory, with far-reaching implications for discussions of gender, subjectivity, and the ethics of desire.[3]
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Lacan, Jacques. The Seminar, Book XX: Encore (1972–1973). Ed. Jacques-Alain Miller, trans. Bruce Fink. New York: W. W. Norton, 1998.
- ↑ Freud, Sigmund. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905). In: The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol. VII. Trans. James Strachey. London: Hogarth Press, 1953.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Jacques Lacan." Fall 2018 Edition. [1](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2018/entries/lacan/)
- ↑ Evans, Dylan. An Introductory Dictionary of Lacanian Psychoanalysis. London: Routledge, 1996, s.v. “sexual relation.”
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors. “Jouissance.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jouissance)