Difference between revisions of "Knowledge"

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[[Knowledge|Symbolic knowledge]] is the [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''', and the only means of access to this [[knowledge]] is via a particular form of [[speech]] called '''[[free association]]'''.
 
[[Knowledge|Symbolic knowledge]] is the [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''', and the only means of access to this [[knowledge]] is via a particular form of [[speech]] called '''[[free association]]'''.
  
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the [[progress|progressive reveletion]] of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]].
+
The '''[[treatment]]''' aims toward the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of this [[knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than toward "'''[[dialectic|absolute knowledge]]'''" because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
  
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than a [[dialectic|Hegelian]] "[[knowledge|absolute knowledge]]," because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
+
[[Knowledge|Symbolic knowledge]] is the [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]'''; the only means of access to this [[knowledge]] is via a particular form of [[speech]] called '''[[free association]]'''.
  
'''[[treatment|Psychoanalytic treatment]]''' aims toward the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than toward "'''[[dialectic|absolute knowledge]]'''" because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
+
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than "[[knowledge|absolute knowledge]]," because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
  
'''[[treatment|Psychoanalytic treatment]]''' does not aim toward "'''[[dialectic|absolute knowledge]]'''" but the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of this [[knowledge|knowledge]] to the [[subject]], because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
+
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than "[[knowledge|absolute knowledge]]," because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
 +
 
 +
'''[[treatment|Psychoanalytic treatment]]''' aims toward the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of this [[knowledge]] to the [[subject]], rather than toward "'''[[dialectic|absolute knowledge]]'''" because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
 +
 
 +
'''[[treatment|Psychoanalytic treatment]]''' does not aim toward "'''[[dialectic|absolute knowledge]]'''" but rather toward the ''[[progress|progressive reveletion]]'' of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], because the [[unconscious]] is irreducible; there is an inescapable '''[[split|division]]''' between the '''[[subject]]''' and '''[[knowledge]]'''.
  
 
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the [[progress|progressive reveletion]] of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], for the only means of access to this [[knowledge]] is via a particular form of [[speech]] called '''[[free association]]'''.
 
The [[end of analysis|aim]] of '''[[treatment|psychoanalytic treatment]]''' is the [[progress|progressive reveletion]] of [[knowledge|symbolic knowledge]] to the [[subject]], for the only means of access to this [[knowledge]] is via a particular form of [[speech]] called '''[[free association]]'''.

Revision as of 02:38, 5 September 2006

French: connaissance/savoir

Jacques Lacan

The term "knowledge" has two meanings in Lacan's work:

Lacan distinguishes between two types of knowledge:


Symbolic Knowledge

Symbolic knowledge refers to both the knowledge of the subject's relation to the symbolic order, and also to that relation itself.

It is the articulation of signifiers in the subject's symbolic universe, the signifying chain (SS2.gif).


Unknown Knowledge

The "unconscious" is simply another name for symbolic knowledge insofar as it is an "unknown knowledge," a knowledge which the subject does not know it knows.


Absolute Knowledge

Symbolic knowledge is the aim of psychoanalytic treatment, and the only means of access to this knowledge is via a particular form of speech called free association.

The treatment aims toward the progressive reveletion of this knowledge to the subject, rather than toward "absolute knowledge" because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

Symbolic knowledge is the aim of psychoanalytic treatment; the only means of access to this knowledge is via a particular form of speech called free association.

The aim of psychoanalytic treatment is the progressive reveletion of symbolic knowledge to the subject, rather than "absolute knowledge," because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

The aim of psychoanalytic treatment is the progressive reveletion of symbolic knowledge to the subject, rather than "absolute knowledge," because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

Psychoanalytic treatment aims toward the progressive reveletion of this knowledge to the subject, rather than toward "absolute knowledge" because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

Psychoanalytic treatment does not aim toward "absolute knowledge" but rather toward the progressive reveletion of symbolic knowledge to the subject, because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

The aim of psychoanalytic treatment is the progressive reveletion of symbolic knowledge to the subject, for the only means of access to this knowledge is via a particular form of speech called free association.

However, the treatment does not aim at a Hegelian "absolute knowledge," because the unconscious is irreducible; there is an inescapable division between the subject and knowledge.

Jouissance' of the Other

Symbolic knowledge is knowledge of the truth about one's unconscious desire.

In this sense, knowledge is a form of jouissance: "knowledge is the jouissance of the Other."[1]

Knowledge in this sense is a form of jouissance: "knowledge is the jouissance of the Other."[2]

Subject Supposed to Know

Symbolic knowledge does not reside in any particular subject, nor in the Other (which is not a subject but a locus), but is intersubjective.

However, this does not prevent one supposing that somewhere there is a subject who possesses this symbolic knowledge (the subject supposed to know).

Connaissance

Imaginary Knowledge

Connaissance (and its necessary correlate, méconnaissance) is the kind of self-knowledge that belongs to the imaginary order.

It is by misunderstanding and misrecognition (méconnaissance) that the subject comes to the imaginary knowledge of himself (me-connaissance) which is constitutive of the ego.[3]

The ego is thus an illusory kind of self-knowledge based on a fantasy of self-mastery and unity.

"Paranoiac Knowledge"

Imaginary knowledge is called "paranoiac knowledge" by Lacan because it has the same structure as paranoia (both involve a delusion of absolute knowledge and mastery), and because one of the preconditions of all human knowledge is the "paranoiac alienation of the ego."[4]

Imaginary Obstacle to Symbolic Knowledge

Imaginary knowledge is an obstacle which hinders the subjects access to symbolic knowledge.

Psychoanalytic treatment must therefore continually subvert the subject's imaginary self-knowledge in order to reveal the symbolic self-knowledge which it blocks.

See Also

References