Sublimation The term '[[sublimation]]' (Fr. ''sublimation'') is a process that diverts one of the most familiar terms in the flow vocabulary of instinctual energy from its immediate sexual aim and subordinates it to cultural endeavors[[psychoanalysis]].
The idea of sublimation leads back at once to the alchemical metaphor of the transmutation of base metal into gold, and to aesthetics, which from the ancient world (Longinus) to Romanticism (Goethe) saw the sublime as the transcendence of the individual's limitations. The concept evolved in Freud's work from the idea of the ennoblement or embellishment of a fantasy (Draft L [1950a (1895)]) to that of a genuine intra-instinctual process, the transformation of object libido into ego libido before it could assume new aims (1923b).
The unresolved complexity '[[Sublimation]]' is one of the notion of sublimation means, however, that the term designates a set of questions rather than a well-circumscribed concept (Laplanche, 1980)major concepts in [[psychoanalytic theory]].
Sublimation would appear to be This concept was first articulated by [[Sigmund Freud]] as a very special vicissitude of the instinct[[defense mechanism]], that is, for its diversion of as an [[unconscious]] mental process in which (libidinal , instinctual, psychic, erotic energy harnesses ) (the flow of) (the instinctual impulses in a way congenial to the superego and its society. Retransformation of) (libido or sexual drive) is possiblechannelled, howeverconverted, and therein the original instinctual force may regain the upper hand transformed (resexualization of sublimated homosexual impulses (1911c diverted) into an apparently non-sexual activity, such as [[1910art|artistic creation]])). Desexualization alone cannot define the process of sublimationand intellectual work, which is not to be confused with inhibition or reaction formationsredirected, even if diverted (from its immediate sexual aim and subordinates it plays a fundamental role because of its ability to exchange cultural endeavors) toward an originally apparently non-sexual aim for anotheror a socially valued [[object]], such as [[art|artistic creation]] and intellectual work, which is its into creative and intellectual activity, into "psychical parentsocially useful" achievements (1908din a way congenial to the superego and its society).<ref>Freud 1933</ref>
As for the effect of For [[Freud]], [[sublimation on the object it valorizes in ]] involves the eyes redirection of society, Freud took great care (excess sexual or erotic energy which would otherwise have to discourage any risk of confusion between sublimation and idealization, be discharged in socially unacceptable forms (perverse behaviour) or in neurotic symptoms) the latter implying [[drive]] (from its immediate sexual aim towards an overestimation of the supposedly "sublime" apparently non-sexual aim or a socially valued [[object ]]) to a different (1914cnon-sexual)[[object]].
The development of the ability to sublimate ("Fähigkeit zur Sublimierung") was related for Freud both to the individual's constitutional disposition (the initial strength of the sexual instinct) and Erotic energy is only allowed limited expression due to the events of childhood (the link between trauma and the intensity of infantile curiosity; cf[[Psychological repression|repression]]., the case of Leonardo da Vinci being a good example). Sublimation occurred at the expense of the polymorphously perverse drives of childhood (especially bisexuality), which were diverted and applied [[Civilization]] has been able to other place "social aims, as witness higher than the sublimation of anal eroticism into an interest in money, or the link between urethral eroticism and ambitionsexual ones. This process contributed to the formation of character traits. The component instincts were of particular significance here: the instinct to see could be sublimated into artistic contemplation and into the instinct to know (1910c), while sublimated aggression could manifest itself as creative and innovative activity"<ref>Introductory Lectures 16.345</ref>
But [[Sigmund Freud always emphasized the risks associated with sublimation of the instincts when it takes place at the expense of the sexual and deprives the subject of immediate satisfaction. Although sublimation appears as the guarantor of the social bond and promoter of culture, it is, nonetheless, ]] never developed a dangerous demand, a "ruse of civilization" (Mellor-Picaut, 1979) when it presents individual sublimations as ideal models. For Freud, sublimation is not the core of an axiological approach to psychoanalysis, and the introduction of narcissism represented an important turning point in his coherent theory. Sublimation took place "through the mediation of the ego, which begins by changing sexual object-libido into narcissistic libido, and then perhaps goes on to give it a different aim" (1923b, p. 30or account). Sublimation no longer occurs at the expense of the object-libido but offers the narcissistic libido a needed extension. However, it does not protect the individual, who is left at the mercy of the death instinct[[sublimation]].
# Freud was against making sublimation 's account implies that According to Freud, [[perversion|perverse]] [[sexuality]] as a privileged goal form of direct [[satisfaction]] of the treatment[[drive]] is possible.According to Freud, one that could even be advocated by the analyst (1915a [1914[sublimation]]). In is necessary because this, he disagreed with Carl G. Jung direct (1914dform of), as well as Lou Andreas-Salomé, whom he had also accused [[satisfaction]] (of "blab-bering about the ideal" in his letters to Jung (January 10, 1912[[drive]]), James Jis [[prohibition|prohibited]] by [[society]]. Putnam (May 4, 1911), and Oskar Pfister (October 9, 1918). In all these cases he was struggling against the temptation of an anagogic approach to psychoanalysis. It may be assumed Freud believed that this threat of having such a complex concept corrupted contributed to the fact that it has never been thoroughly developed. One thinks in particular of an unpublished draft on complete [[sublimation written ]] might be possible for Freud's projected book on metapsychology.some particularly refined or [[culture]]d people
The concept of sublimation has been discussed by many of [[Jacques Lacan]] expands upon [[Freud]]'s followers, though without any significant contributions being made to metapsychology. In later years Melanie Klein became one account of the most important commentators on sublimation, primarily in connection with epistemophilia. In France, Daniel Lagache (1962) and Jean Laplanche (1980) have both written essays on [[sublimation]].
Sublimation, which is often mentioned Lacan conceives of [[perversion]] in a highly structured relation to the literature[[drive]]s which are already, by emphasizing the desexualization of goals and the social valorization of the objectin themselves, remains both an essential concept and an unresolved question for psychoanalysis[[linguistic]] rather than [[biology|biological forces]].<ref>see Zizek, 1991: 83-4)</ref>
SOPHIE DE MIJOLLA-MELLORLacan argues that "complete sublimation is not possible for the individual."<ref>S7, 91</ref>
See also: Anality; Analytic psychology; Anthropology and psychoanalysis; Applied psychoanalysis and For [[Lacan]], [[sublimation]] involves (rather than directing the drive to a different object) changing the interactions of psychoanalysis; Character; Civilization (Kultur); Defense; Depressive position; Desexualization; Drive; Ego; Ego autonomy; Ego and of the Id, The; Ego and object in the Mechanisms structure of Defense, The; Eroticism, anal; Eroticism, urethral; Friendship; Group psychology; ; Idealization; Identification with the aggressor; Ideology; Intellectualization; Knowledge (instinct forfantasy); Latency period; Law nature of the Father; Leonardo da Vinci and object to which the drive was already directed, a Memory of his Childhood; Pleasure ego/reality ego; Pleasure "change of thinking; Psychic apparatus; Reaction formation; Reciprocal paths of influence (libidinal coexcitation); Reparation; Repetition; Rite and ritual; Science and psychoanalysis; Sexuality; Superego; Symbol; Symbolizationobject in itself, process " something which is made possible because the drive is "already deeply marked by the articulation of; Thought; Work (as a psychoanalytic concept); Working-off mechanismsthe signifier.Bibliography"<ref>S7, 293</ref>
* Freud. Sigmund. (1908d). "Civilized" sexual morality and modern nervous illness. SEThe [[sublime]] quality of an [[object]] is thus not due to any intrinsic property of the object itself, 9: 177-204. * ——. (1910c). Leonardo da Vinci and a memory but simply an effect of his childhood. SE, 11: 57-137. * ——. (1915a the object's position in the [[symbolic]] [[1914structure]]). Observations on transference love. (Further recommendations on the technique of psychoanalysis III). SE, 12: 157-171[[fantasy]]. * ——. (1914d). On [[Sublimation]] relocates an object in the history position of the psycho-analytic movement. SE, 14: 1-66. * ——. (1930a [1929[thing]]). Civilization and its discontents. SE, 21: 57-145. * ——. (1923b). The ego and the id. SE, 19: 1-66. * Lagache, Daniel. (1984). La Lacanian formula for sublimation et les valeursis thus that "it raises an object . In Oeuvres completes 5. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. (Original work published 1962) * Laplanche, Jeanto the [[dignity of the Thing]]. (1980). Problématiques III, la sublimation. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. * Mellor-Picaut"<ref>S7, Sophie. (1979). La sublimation ruse de la civilisation. Psychanalyseà l'Université, 4.12</ref>
Further Reading * Arlow, Jacob, rep. # Lacan (1955following Freud)associates [[sublimation]] with [[creativity]] and [[art]], but also links it with the [[death drive]]. Panel: Sublimation. Journal <ref>S4, 431</ref>## Firstly, the concept of the American Psychoanalytic Association[[death drive]] is itself seen as a product of Freud's own [[sublimation]].<ref>S7, 3, 515-527.212</ref> * Kris## Secondly, Ernst. (1955). Neutralization and sublimation. Psychoanalytic Study of the Childdeath drive is not only a "destruction drive, 10" but also a "will to create from zero."<ref>S7, 30212-46.13</ref> * Loewald## Thirdly, Hans W. (1988). Sublimation: Inquiries into theoretical psychoanalysis. New Haven: Yale University Press. ==new== The term 'the [[sublimationsublime object]]' (Fr. ''sublimation'') is one , through being elevated to the [[dignity of the most familiar terms in the vocabulary Thing]], exerts a power of fascination which leads ultimately to [[psychoanalysisdeath]]and destruction.
==Sublimation and Freud==
In his 1959-60 [[seminar]], ''[[The Ethics of Psychoanalysis]],'' [[Jacques Lacan]] emphasizes the element of [[social recognition]] as central to the concept, and reflects upon the dimension of shared social values (towards which the sublimated drives are diverted) in his discussion of ethics.<ref>[[Jacques Lacan|Lacan, Jacques]]. [[The Ethics of Psychoanalysis]]. p. 107, 144</ref>
The unresolved complexity of the notion of sublimation means, however, that the term designates a set of questions rather than a well-circumscribed concept (Laplanche, 1980). to exchange an originally sexual aim for another, As for the effect of sublimation on the object it valorizes in the eyes of society, Freud took great care to discourage any risk of confusion between sublimation and idealization, the latter implying an overestimation of the supposedly "sublime" object (1914c). The development of the ability to sublimate ("Fähigkeit zur Sublimierung") was related for Freud both to the individual's constitutional disposition (the initial strength of the sexual instinct) and to the events of childhood (the link between trauma and the intensity of infantile curiosity; cf., the case of Leonardo da Vinci being a good example). Sublimation occurred at the expense of the polymorphously perverse drives of childhood (especially bisexuality), which were diverted and applied to other aims, as witness the sublimation of anal eroticism into an interest in money, or the link between urethral eroticism and ambition. This process contributed to the formation of character traits. The component instincts were of particular significance here: the instinct to see could be sublimated into artistic contemplation and into the instinct to know (1910c), while sublimated aggression could manifest itself as creative and innovative activity. But Freud always emphasized the risks associated with sublimation of the instincts when it takes place at the expense of the sexual and deprives the subject of immediate satisfaction. Although sublimation appears as the guarantor of the social bond and promoter of culture, it is, nonetheless, a dangerous demand, a "ruse of civilization" (Mellor-Picaut, 1979) when it presents individual sublimations as ideal models. For Freud, sublimation is not the core of an axiological approach to psychoanalysis, and the introduction of narcissism represented an important turning point in his theory. Sublimation took place "through the mediation of the ego, which begins by changing sexual object-libido into narcissistic libido, and then perhaps goes on to give it a different aim" (1923b, p. 30). Sublimation no longer occurs at the expense of the object-libido but offers the narcissistic libido a needed extension. However, it does not protect the individual, who is left at the mercy of the death instinct. Freud was against making sublimation a privileged goal of the treatment, one that could even be advocated by the analyst (1915a [1914]). In this, he disagreed with Carl G. Jung (1914d), as well as Lou Andreas-Salomé, whom he had also accused of "blab-bering about the ideal" in his letters to Jung (January 10, 1912), James J. Putnam (May 4, 1911), and Oskar Pfister (October 9, 1918). In all these cases he was struggling against the temptation of an anagogic approach to psychoanalysis. It may be assumed that this threat of having such a complex concept corrupted contributed to the fact that it has never been thoroughly developed. One thinks in particular of an unpublished draft on sublimation written for Freud's projected book on metapsychology. The concept of sublimation has been discussed by many of Freud's followers, though without any significant contributions being made to metapsychology. In later years Melanie Klein became one of the most important commentators on sublimation, primarily in connection with epistemophilia. In France, Daniel Lagache (1962) and Jean Laplanche (1980) have both written essays on sublimation. Sublimation, which is often mentioned in the literature, by emphasizing the desexualization of goals and the social valorization of the object, remains both an essential concept and an unresolved question for psychoanalysis. ===Sublimation and Art===In his study of Leonardo da Vinci, Freud uses 'sublimation' in this sense to describe the transformation of theyoung Leonardo's sexual curiosity into a spirit of intellectual inquiry.<ref>1910a</ref> Whilst this produced great works of art, the sublimation of [[libido]] into a general urge to know meant that a small quota of Leonardo's sexual ennergy was directe dtowards sexual aims, and resulted in a stunted adult sexuality. Elsewhere Frud suggests tht a mature woman's capacity to pursue an intellectual profession may be a sublimated expression of her childhood desire to acquire a penis. ==See Also==* [[Sublime Object]]* [[Art]]* [[libido]]* [[drive]]* [[death drive]]* [[The Ethics of Psychoanalysis]] See also: Anality; Analytic psychology; Anthropology and psychoanalysis; Applied psychoanalysis and the interactions of psychoanalysis; Character; Civilization (Kultur); Defense; Depressive position; Desexualization; Drive; Ego; Ego autonomy; Ego and the Id, The; Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense, The; Eroticism, anal; Eroticism, urethral; Friendship; Group psychology; ; Idealization; Identification with the aggressor; Ideology; Intellectualization; Knowledge (instinct for); Latency period; Law of the Father; Leonardo da Vinci and a Memory of his Childhood; Pleasure ego/reality ego; Pleasure of thinking; Psychic apparatus; Reaction formation; Reciprocal paths of influence (libidinal coexcitation); Reparation; Repetition; Rite and ritual; Science and psychoanalysis; Sexuality; Superego; Symbol; Symbolization, process of; Thought; Work (as a psychoanalytic concept); Working-off mechanisms. == References ==<references/>* Freud. Sigmund. (1908d). "Civilized" sexual morality and modern nervous illness. SE, 9: 177-204.* ——. (1910c). Leonardo da Vinci and a memory of his childhood. SE, 11: 57-137.* ——. (1915a [1914]). Observations on transference love. (Further recommendations on the technique of psychoanalysis III). SE, 12: 157-171.* ——. (1914d). On the history of the psycho-analytic movement. SE, 14: 1-66.* ——. (1930a [1929]). Civilization and its discontents. SE, 21: 57-145.* ——. (1923b). The ego and the id. SE, 19: 1-66.* [[Seminar XI]] sublimation, 11, 165</ref> [[Category:Jacques Lacan]][[Category:Terms]][[Category:Concepts]][[Category:Psychoanalysis]][[Category:Dictionary]][[Category:New]][[Category:Freudian psychology]][[Category:Art]][[Category:Culture]]
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