Difference between revisions of "Counterpart"

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"[[counterpart]]"
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([[Fr]]. ''[[semblable]]'')
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==Jacques Lacan==
  
==More==
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This [[notion]] of the "[[counterpart|specular ego]]" was first developed in the essay, "[[The Mirror Stage]]".
  
  
The term "[[counterpart]]" plays an important part in [[Lacan]]'s [[Works of Jacques Lacan|work]] from the 1930s on, and designates other people in whom the [[subject]] perceives a likeness to himself (principally a visual likeness).
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The term "[[counterpart]]" plays an important part in [[Lacan]]'s [[Works of Jacques Lacan|work]] from the 1930s on, and designates other [[people]] in whom the [[subject]] perceives a likeness to himself (principally a [[visual]] likeness).
  
 
The [[counterpart]] plays an important part in the [[intrusion complex]] and in the [[mirror stage]] (which are themselves closely related.
 
The [[counterpart]] plays an important part in the [[intrusion complex]] and in the [[mirror stage]] (which are themselves closely related.
  
==More==
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==Intrusion Complex==
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The [[intrusion complex]] is one of the [[three]] "[[family]] [[complex|complexes]]" which [[Lacan]] discusses in his 1938 article on the [[family]], and arises when the [[child]] first realizes that he has siblings, that other [[subject]]s ''like him'' participate in the [[family]] [[structure]].
  
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The emphasis here is on likeness; the [[child]] [[identification|identifies]] with his siblings on the basis of the [[recognition]] of [[bodily]] similarity (which depends, of course, on their [[being]] a relatively small age [[difference]] between the [[subject]] and his siblings).
  
The [[intrusion complex]] is one of the three "family complxes" which [[Lacan]] discusses in his 1938 article on the family, and arises when the child first realizes that he has sinligns, that other subjects ''like him'' participate in the family structure.
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=="Imago of the Counterpart"==
 
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It is this [[identification]] that gives rise to the "[[counterpart|imago of the counterpart]]."<ref>{{L}} ''[[Works of Jacques Lacan|Les complexes familiaux dans la formation de l'individu. Essai d'analyse d'une fonction en psychologie]]'', [[Paris]]: Navarin, 1984. p. 35-9</ref>
The emphasis here is on likeness; the child identifies with his siblings on the basis of the recognition of bodily similarity (which depends, of course, on their being a relatively small age difference between the subject and his siblings).
 
 
 
It is this [[identification]] that gives rise to the "imago of the counterpart."<ref>Lacan, 1938: 35-9</ref>
 
 
 
==More==
 
  
 
The [[imago]] of the [[counterpart]] is interchangeable with the [[image]] of the [[subject]]'s own [[body]], the [[specular image]] with which the [[subject]] [[identifies]] in the [[mirror stage]], leading to the [[formation]] of the [[ego]].  
 
The [[imago]] of the [[counterpart]] is interchangeable with the [[image]] of the [[subject]]'s own [[body]], the [[specular image]] with which the [[subject]] [[identifies]] in the [[mirror stage]], leading to the [[formation]] of the [[ego]].  
  
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==Formation of the Ego==
 
This interchangeability is evident in such phenomena as [[transitivism]], and illustrates the way that the [[subject]] constitutes his [[object]]s on the basis of his [[ego]].  
 
This interchangeability is evident in such phenomena as [[transitivism]], and illustrates the way that the [[subject]] constitutes his [[object]]s on the basis of his [[ego]].  
  
The [[image]] of another person's [[body]] can only be [[identified]] with insofar as it is perceived as similar to one's own [[body]], and conversely the [[counterpart]] is only recognised as a [[separate]], [[identifiable]] [[ego]] by [[projection|projecting]] one's own [[ego]] onto him.
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The [[image]] of [[another]] person's [[body]] can only be [[identified]] with insofar as it is perceived as similar to one's own [[body]], and conversely the [[counterpart]] is only recognised as a [[separate]], [[identifiable]] [[ego]] by [[projection|projecting]] one's own [[ego]] onto him.
  
==More==
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=="Littler Other"==
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In 1955 [[Lacan]] introduces a [[distinction]] between the "[[big Other]]" and the "[[little other]]" -- or the "[[imaginary other]]" -- reserving the latter term for the [[counterpart]] and/or [[specular image]].
  
In 1955 [[Lacan]] introduces a distinction between 'the [[big Other]]' and 'the [[little other]]' (or 'the [[imaginary other]]'), reserving the latter term for the [[counterpart]] and/or [[specular image]].
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The [[counterpart]] is the [[little other]] because it is not truly [[other]] at all; it is not the radical [[alterity]] represented by the [[Other]], but the [[other]] insofar as he is similar to the [[ego]].
 
 
The [[counterpart]] is the [[little other]] because it is not truly [[other]] at all; it is not the radical [[alterity]] represented by the [[Other]], but the [[other]] insofar as he is similar to the [[ego]] (hence the interchangeability of a and a' in [[schema L]]).
 
  
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==See Also==
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{{See}}
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* [[Complex]]
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* [[Ego]]
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* [[Identification]]
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* [[Imago]]
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* [[Mirror stage]]
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* [[Other]]
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* [[Projection]]
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* [[Specular image]]
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* [[Structure]]
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* [[Subject]]
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{{Also}}
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category:Concepts]]
 
[[Category:Concepts]]
 
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Latest revision as of 04:45, 24 May 2019

French: semblable

Jacques Lacan

This notion of the "specular ego" was first developed in the essay, "The Mirror Stage".


The term "counterpart" plays an important part in Lacan's work from the 1930s on, and designates other people in whom the subject perceives a likeness to himself (principally a visual likeness).

The counterpart plays an important part in the intrusion complex and in the mirror stage (which are themselves closely related.

Intrusion Complex

The intrusion complex is one of the three "family complexes" which Lacan discusses in his 1938 article on the family, and arises when the child first realizes that he has siblings, that other subjects like him participate in the family structure.

The emphasis here is on likeness; the child identifies with his siblings on the basis of the recognition of bodily similarity (which depends, of course, on their being a relatively small age difference between the subject and his siblings).

"Imago of the Counterpart"

It is this identification that gives rise to the "imago of the counterpart."[1]

The imago of the counterpart is interchangeable with the image of the subject's own body, the specular image with which the subject identifies in the mirror stage, leading to the formation of the ego.

Formation of the Ego

This interchangeability is evident in such phenomena as transitivism, and illustrates the way that the subject constitutes his objects on the basis of his ego.

The image of another person's body can only be identified with insofar as it is perceived as similar to one's own body, and conversely the counterpart is only recognised as a separate, identifiable ego by projecting one's own ego onto him.

"Littler Other"

In 1955 Lacan introduces a distinction between the "big Other" and the "little other" -- or the "imaginary other" -- reserving the latter term for the counterpart and/or specular image.

The counterpart is the little other because it is not truly other at all; it is not the radical alterity represented by the Other, but the other insofar as he is similar to the ego.

See Also

References