Difference between revisions of "Counterpart"

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      counterpart (ge√labie)                  The term 'counterpart' plays      an important
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{{Top}}semblable{{Bottom}}
  
-part in Lacan's work from the 1930s on, and designates other people in whom
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==Jacques Lacan==
  
-the subject perceives a likeness to himself (principally a visual likeness). The
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This [[notion]] of the "[[counterpart|specular ego]]" was first developed in the essay, "[[The Mirror Stage]]".
  
-counterpart plays an important part in the intrusion complex and in the MIRROR
 
  
      STAGE (Which are themselves closely interrelated).
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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 intrusion complex is one of the three 'family complexes' which Lacan
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The [[counterpart]] plays an important part in the [[intrusion complex]] and in the [[mirror stage]] (which are themselves closely related.
  
      discusses in his 1938 article on the family, and arises when the child first
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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]].
  
    realises that he has siblings, that other subjects like him participate in the
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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).
  
      family structure. The emphasis here is on likeness; the child identifies with his
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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>
  
      siblings on the basis of the recognition of bodily similarity (which depends, of
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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]].
  
      course, on their being a relatively small age difference between the subject and
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==Formation of the Ego==
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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]].
  
      his siblings). It is this identification that gives rise to the 'imago of the
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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.
  
      counterpart' (Lacan, 1938: 35-9).
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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]].  
  
        The imago of the counterpart is interchangeable with the image of the
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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]].
  
    subject's own body, the SPECULAR IMAGE with which the subject identifies in
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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}}
  
    the mirror stage, leading to the formation of the ego. This interchangeability is
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==References==
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<div style="font-size:11px" class="references-small">
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<references/>
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</div>
  
    evident in such phenomena aS TRANSITIVISM, and illustrates the way that the
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[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
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[[Category:Jacques Lacan]]
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[[Category:Dictionary]]
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[[Category:Imaginary]]
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[[Category:Concepts]]
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[[Category:Terms]]
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{{OK}}
  
    subject constitutes his objects on the basis of his ego. The image of another
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__NOTOC__
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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.
 
 
 
      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 (hence the interchangeability of a and a' in
 
 
 
  schema L).
 

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