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{{Top}}[[sujet ]] supposé savoir{{Bottom}}

The [[illusion]] of a [[self-consciousness]] which is [[transparent ]] to itself in its [[act]] of [[knowledge|knowing]], constituted in the [[mirror stage]], is put into question by [[psychoanalysis]].

[[Psychoanalysis]] demonstrates that [[knowledge]] (''[[savoir]]'') is not located in any [[particular ]] [[subject]] but is, in fact, [[intersubjective]].<ref>{{L}} [[Seminar IX|Le Séminaire. Livre IX. L'identification, 1961-62]]'', unpublished. [[Seminar]] of 15 November 1961.</ref>

In 1964, [[Lacan]] defines [[transference]] as the [[attribution ]] of [[knowledge]] to a [[subject]].

<blockquote>"As soon as the subject who is supposed to [[know ]] [[exists ]] somewhere there is transference."<ref>{{S11}} p. 232</ref></blockquote>

In [[other ]] [[words]], the [[analyst]] is often [[thought ]] to [[knowledge|know]] the [[secret]] [[meaning]] of the [[analysand]]'s [[word]]s, the [[signification]]s of [[speech]] of which even the [[speaker ]] is unaware. This supposition alone (the supposition that the [[analyst]] is one who [[knows]]) causes otherwise insignificant details (chance gestures, ambiguous remarks) to acquire [[retroactively ]] a special [[meaning]] for the [[patient]] who "supposes".

It may happen that the [[patient]] supposes the [[analyst]] to be a [[subject]] who knows from the very first [[treatment]], or even before, but it often takes some [[time ]] for the [[transference]] to become established. In the latter [[case]], "when the subject enters the [[analysis]], he is far from giving the [[analyst]] this [[place ]] of the [[subject supposed to know]]."<ref>{{S11}} p. 233</ref> The [[analysand]] may initially [[regard ]] the [[analyst]] as a buffoon, or may withhold information from him in [[order ]] to maintain his [[ignorance]].<ref>{{S11}} p. 137</ref> However, "even the [[psychoanalyst]] put in question is credited at some point with a certain infallibility."<ref>{{S11}} p.234</ref>

Sooner or later some [[chance]] gesture of the [[analyst]] is taken by the [[analysand]] as a [[sign]] of some secret [[intention]], some hidden [[knowledge]]. At this point the [[analyst]] has come to embody the [[subject supposed to know]]; the [[transference]] is established. The [[end of analysis]] comes when the [[analysand]] de-supposes the [[analyst]] of [[knowledge]], so that the [[analyst]] falls from the [[position ]] of the [[subject supposed to know]].

The term "[[subject supposed to know]]" also emphasizes the fact that it is a particular [[relationship ]] to [[knowledge]] that constitutes the unique position of the [[analyst]]; the [[analyst]] is aware that there is a [[split]] between him and the [[knowledge]] attributed to him. In other words, the [[analyst]] must realize that he only occupies the position of one who is presumed (by the [[analysand]]) to know, without fooling himself that he really does possess the [[knowledge]] attributed to him. The [[analyst]] must realise that, of the [[knowledge]] attributed to him by the [[analysand]], he knows [[nothing]].<ref>{{L}} "[[Works of Jacques Lacan|Proposition du 9 octobre 1967 sur le psychanalyste de l'École]]," 1967, ''[[Scilicet]]'', no. 1 ([[1968]]) p. 20</ref>

However, the fact that it is a supposed [[knowledge]] that is the mainstay of the [[treatment|analytic process]], rather than the [[knowledge]] actually possessed by the [[analyst]], does not mean that the [[analyst]] can therefore be [[content ]] with [[knowing ]] nothing; on the contrary, [[Lacan]] argues that [[analyst]]s should emulate [[Freud]] in becoming experts in [[cultural]], [[literary]] and [[linguistic]] matters.

[[Lacan]] also remarks that, for the [[analyst]], the [[analysand]] is a [[subject supposed to know]]. When the [[analyst]] explains the [[fundamental rule]] of [[free association]] to the [[analysand]], he is effectively saying; "Come on, say anything, it will all be marvellous."<ref>{{S17}} p. 59</ref> In other words, the [[analyst]] tells the [[analysand]] to behave as if he knew what it was all [[about]], thereby instituting him as a [[subject supposed to know]].