Difference between revisions of "Need"

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{{Top}}[[besoin]]{{Bottom}}
  
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=Jacques Lacan=
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Around 1958, [[Lacan]] develops an important [[distinction]] between [[three]] [[terms]]:
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* [[need]],
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* '''[[demand]]''' and
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* '''[[desire]]'''.
  
[[Lacan]] develops an important distinction between three terms: [[need]], [[demand]] and [[desire]].
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==Need==
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In the context of this distinction, "[[need]]" comes close to what [[Freud]] referred to as "'''[[instinct]]'''" (''[[Instinkt]]''); that is, a purely '''''[[biological]]''''' [[concept]] opposed to the realm of the '''[[drive]]''' (''[[Trieb]]'').
  
In the context of this distinction, 'need' comes close to what [[Freud]] referred to as [[instinct]] (''Instinkt''); that is, a purely [[biology|biological]] concept opposed to the realm of the [[drive]] (''Trieb'').
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==Demand==
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[[Lacan]] bases this distinction on the fact that in [[order]] to [[desire|satisfy]] his [[needs]] the [[infant]] must articulate [[them]] in '''[[language]]'''; in other [[words]], the [[infant]] must articulate his [[needs]] in a "'''[[demand]]'''".  However, in doing so, something else is introduced which causes a '''[[split]]''' between [[need]] and '''[[demand]]'''; this is the fact that every '''[[demand]]''' is not only an articulation of [[need]] but also an (unconditional) '''[[demand]]''' for '''[[love]]'''.  Now, although the [[other]] to whom the [[demand]] is addressed (in the first [[instance]], the [[mother]]) can and may supply the [[object]] which [[satisfies]] the [[infant]]'s [[need]], she is never in a [[position]] to answer the [[demand]] for [[love]] unconditionally, because she too is [[division|divided]].  The result of this '''[[split]]''' between [[need]] and '''[[demand]]''' is an [[insatiable]] leftover, which is '''[[desire]]''' itself.
  
The [[child]], in order to satisfy his or her [[need]]s, must articulate his or her [[need]]s in [[language]]; in other words, the [[child]] must articulate his or her [[need]]s in a '[[demand]]'.
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==Desire==
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[[Need]] is thus an ''intermittent tension'' which arises for purely [[organic]] reasons and which is [[discharged]] entirely by the specific [[action]] corresponding to the [[particular]] [[need]] in question.  [[Desire]], on the other hand, is a ''constant force'' which can never be [[satisfied]], the constant 'pressure' which underlies the [[drives]].
  
However, every [[demand]] is not only an articulation of [[need]] but also an (unconditional) [[demand]] for [[love]].
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==A Pre-Linguistic Need==
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This account presents in [[chronological]] terms what is in fact a question of [[structure]].  In [[truth]], it is not the [[case]] that there first [[exists]] a [[subject]] of pure [[need]] which then attempts to articulate that [[need]] in [[language]], since the distinction between pure [[need]] and its articulation in [[demand]] only exists from the [[moment]] of its articulation, by which [[time]] it is [[impossible]] to determine what that pure [[need]] could have been.  The concept of a [[linguistics|pre-linguistic]] [[need]] is thus merely a hypothesis, and the [[subject]] of this pure [[need]] is a [[mythical]] [[subject]]; even the paradigmatic [[need]] of hunger never exists as a pure [[biological]] given, but is marked by the [[structure]] of [[desire]]. Nevertheless, this hypothesis is useful to [[Lacan]] for maintaining his theses [[about]] the radical divergence between [[human]] [[desire]] and all [[natural]] or [[biological]] [[categories]].
  
The [[other]] to whom the [[demand]] is addressed (the [[mother]]) can and may supply the [[object]] which [[satisfaction|satisfies]] the [[child]]'s [[need]], she is never in a position to answer the [[demand]] for [[love]] unconditionally, because she too is [[division|divided]].
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=See Also=
 
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{{See}}
The result of this [[split]] between [[need]] and [[demand]] is an insatiable leftover, which is [[desire]] itself.
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* [[Biology]]
 
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* [[Development]]
 
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||
[[Need]] is thus an intermittent tension which arises for purely organic reasons and which is discharged entirely by the specific action corresponding ot the particular [[need]] in question.
 
[[Desire]], on the other hand, is a constant force which can never be satisfied, the constant 'pressure' which underlies the [[drive]]s.
 
 
 
CONTINUED
 
 
 
 
 
==See Also==
 
 
* [[Demand]]
 
* [[Demand]]
 
* [[Desire]]
 
* [[Desire]]
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||
 
* [[Drive]]
 
* [[Drive]]
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* [[Instinct]]
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||
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* [[Love]]
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* [[Mother]]
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||
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* [[Nature]]
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{{Also}}
  
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==References==
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[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
 
[[Category:Psychoanalysis]]
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[[Category:Jacques Lacan]]
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[[Category:Dictionary]]
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[[Category:Science]]
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[[Category:Concepts]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
 
[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Concepts]]
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__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 20:56, 23 May 2019

French: [[besoin]]

Jacques Lacan

Around 1958, Lacan develops an important distinction between three terms:

Need

In the context of this distinction, "need" comes close to what Freud referred to as "instinct" (Instinkt); that is, a purely biological concept opposed to the realm of the drive (Trieb).

Demand

Lacan bases this distinction on the fact that in order to satisfy his needs the infant must articulate them in language; in other words, the infant must articulate his needs in a "demand". However, in doing so, something else is introduced which causes a split between need and demand; this is the fact that every demand is not only an articulation of need but also an (unconditional) demand for love. Now, although the other to whom the demand is addressed (in the first instance, the mother) can and may supply the object which satisfies the infant's need, she is never in a position to answer the demand for love unconditionally, because she too is divided. The result of this split between need and demand is an insatiable leftover, which is desire itself.

Desire

Need is thus an intermittent tension which arises for purely organic reasons and which is discharged entirely by the specific action corresponding to the particular need in question. Desire, on the other hand, is a constant force which can never be satisfied, the constant 'pressure' which underlies the drives.

A Pre-Linguistic Need

This account presents in chronological terms what is in fact a question of structure. In truth, it is not the case that there first exists a subject of pure need which then attempts to articulate that need in language, since the distinction between pure need and its articulation in demand only exists from the moment of its articulation, by which time it is impossible to determine what that pure need could have been. The concept of a pre-linguistic need is thus merely a hypothesis, and the subject of this pure need is a mythical subject; even the paradigmatic need of hunger never exists as a pure biological given, but is marked by the structure of desire. Nevertheless, this hypothesis is useful to Lacan for maintaining his theses about the radical divergence between human desire and all natural or biological categories.

See Also