It is short in length, but quite dense and difficult. I think it nevertheless worthwhile to bring it again to your attention, especially today, for the light that it sheds on the formation of the i as we experience it in psychoanalysis. I am led, therefore, to regard the function of the mirrorstage as a particular case of the function of the imago, which is to establish a relation. Its also essential reading for anyone interested in lacan due to the prevalence of the mirror stages concepts found throughout his entire oeuvre. Lacan, jacques internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Lacan describes the unified body in the mirror as the core of the established. A psychoanalytic reading of frankenstein shows the reader that the novel is the monsters struggle to escape from the mirror stage and enter the symbolic stage. Lacans depiction of intermediate space between the eye and the gaze can be identified with the space of the screen. In this video, i explore the theory behind psychoanalyst jacques lacan s the mirror stage. Lacans model of the mirror stage allows one to understand the concept of the i in the human psyche and also provides an opposition against decartes famous philosophical statement cogito ergo sum i. Jacques lacan and the mirror stage eng 2205 class blog.
The ego in freuds theory and in the technique of psychoanalysis, 19541955 by. Lacans first major theoretical publication was his piece on the mirror stage as formative of the i. Engl 300 lecture jacques lacan in theory open yale. Jan 16, 2004 ranging from the mirror stage to the subversion of the subject and the dialectic of desire in the freudian unconscious, and including the function and field of speech and language in psychoanalysis and other papers on various aspects of psychoanalytic theory and practice, this selection spans some thirty years of lacan s inimitable.
The family belonged to the prosperous middle bourgeoisie, and lacan went to the college stanislas, a wellknown jesuit establishment. This imago is shown in shakespeares play richard ii in act 4 scene 1 where he smashes the mirror, a representation of him losing his kingship which was his ideal self. The conception of the mirrorphase which i introduced at our last congress, years ago, has since become more or less established in the. Introduction to jacques lacan, module on psychosexual. In 1949, though, it was represented to wider recognition. However, at least at this phase, lacan is perfectly comparable to modern theories on the genesis of the self and the mirror stage. T he conception of the mirrorphase which i introduced at our last congress, years ago, has since become more or less established in the practice of the french group. Lacans the mirror stage suggests that selfrecognition serves as the cause of human consciousness. The conception of the mirror stage i introduced at our last congress thirteen years ago, having. The screen such as of television, movie and computer is currently a particular site of media studies as an inbetween space of projected and perceived images.
Jacques lacan stages such an adventure in his infamous text, the mirror stage as. In this video, i explore the theory behind psychoanalyst jacques lacans the mirror stage. Doc summary of lacans the mirror stage as formative of. The idea of the mirror stage is an important early component in lacan s reinterpretation of the work of freud. How are lacan s essays the agency of the letter in the unconscious and the mirror stage as. Lacan also makes the point that this ego is, at its core, dependent on an other that is, it exists as a mirror. Lacans concept of mirror stage by nasrullah mambrol on april 22, 2016 5. As the socalled individual matures and enters into social relations through language, this other will be elaborated within social and linguistic frameworks that will give each subjects personality and his or her neuroses and.
The mirror stage as formative in the function of the i as revealed. Jacques marie emile lacan april, 1901 to september 9, 1981 was a major figure in parisian intellectual life for much of the twentieth century. The gestalt theory and the mirror stage theory somewhat work hand in hand, as both theories adopt a kind of automatic cognitive recognition of our reflected image as our own. Lacan, the split between the eye and the gaze annotation by. Jacques lacan 190181 is arguably the most important psychoanalyst since sigmund freud 18561939, the originator and founding father of psychoanalysis. Alienation so far, the mirror stage the site where the subject becomes alienated from himself evans 1996 p116. Mirror stage and instance of the letter the mirror stage the. Like the real, lacan stressed the ongoing nature of the mirror stage throughout our lives as we constantly strive for this ideali. Lacans model of the mirror stage allows one to understand the concept of the i in the human psyche and also provides an opposition against decartes famous philosophical statement cogito ergo sum i think therefore i am. Therefore, mirror stage propose dual feeling of identification and estrange, where also a corresponding feelings might be observed with the avatar. This is a summary of the version of lacan s paper presented in the norton anthology of theory and criticism, 2001. Lacan believes that during infancy, we experience the mirror stage and identify with an image, or imago, we see in the mirror so that we can project the qualities of the portrait onto our own.
Lacans construction and deconstruction of the doublemirror. Apr 22, 2016 home literary criticism lacans concept of mirror stage. Theresa thompson english 7010 spring 2011 jacques lacan. The egoideal is where the subject, within the symbolic order, looks at themself from the position of the perfect ideal ego, consequently seeing ones life as imperfect, vain and useless. Deeply controversial, lacans work has transformed psychoanalysis, both as a theory of the unconscious mind and as a clinical practice. His teachings and writings explore the significance of freuds discovery of the. Since art imitates life, an in depth exploration of the way that these scenes play out can illuminate how lacans abstract theories might look in the real life formation of identity and in malefemale relations. In his paper titled mirror stage 1949, lacan expounds. Sometimes referred to as the french freud, he is an important figure in the history of psychoanalysis. Jacques lacan jacques lacan19011981\the mirror stage as. The mirror stage is based on the belief that infants.
Sep, 2011 lacans point, which is novel compared to his ideas concerning the mirror stage, is that the other structures and determines any relation humans can have to reality and others qua interpersonal figure. Jacques lacan 1901 1981, international journal of indian psychology, volume 3, issue 4, no. Introduction to jacques lacan, module on psychosexual development 2. I am led, therefore, to regard the function of the mirrorstage as a particular case of the function. The mirror stage as formative of the function of the i as. Drawing on work in physiology and animal psychology, lacan proposes that human infants pass through a stage in which an external image of the body reflected. Lacans point, which is novel compared to his ideas concerning the mirror stage, is that the other structures and determines any relation humans can have to reality and others qua interpersonal figure. Jacques lacan the mirror stage as formative in the. There are three distinct dreams in the novel, all of which freud would interpret in one of three ways. The only essential texts missing from the edition of the ecrits with only selections are, by my estimation, the essay on poe and the essay on kant and sade. Jacques lacan was born on april th, 1901 in paris, france. Introduction to jacques lacan, module on psychosexual development.
In his paper titled mirror stage 1949, lacan expounds the concept of the mirror stage that occurs between. Pdf is lacans theory of the mirror stage still valid. Ranging from the mirror stage to the subversion of the subject and the dialectic of desire in the freudian unconscious, and including the function and field of speech and language in psychoanalysis and other papers on various aspects of psychoanalytic theory and practice, this selection spans some thirty years of lacans inimitable. Lacans ideas about the formation of the i developed over time in conjunction with his other elaborations of freudian theory. Mar 19, 20 lacan believes that during infancy, we experience the mirror stage and identify with an image, or imago, we see in the mirror so that we can project the qualities of the portrait onto our own. In other words, this recognition of the selfs image precedes the entrance into language, after which the subject can understand the place of that image of the self within a larger social order, in which the subject must negotiate his or her relationship with others. Home literary criticism lacans concept of mirror stage. Lacans concept of mirror stage by nasrullah mambrol on april 22, 2016 5 lacans reinterpretation of freud, with the central focus on language, brought about a poststructuralist turn to psychoanalytic theory. The presence of jacques lacans mirror stage and gaze in.
Lacans concept of mirror stage literary theory and. The mirror stage as formative of the function of the i as revealed in psychoanalytic. Understanding the mirror stage of lacan english literature essay. Lacan s reinterpretation of freud, with the central focus on language, brought about a poststructuralist turn to psychoanalytic theory.
At the same time, lacan the clinician and theoretician of the human psyche is neglected by psychologists and psychiatrists. The mirror stage is based on the belief that infants recognize themselves in a mirror literal or other symbolic contraption which induces apperception the turning of oneself into an object that can be viewed by the child from outside themselves from the age of about six months. Such facts are inscribed in an order of homeomorphic identification which would itself. While discussing jacque lacans the mirror stage for the second time this semester i started thinking about my own younger brothers introduction to the mirror a few years ago. How are lacans essays the agency of the letter in the unconscious and the mirror stage as. Lacans concept of mirror stage literary theory and criticism. Jacques lacan, the mirrorphase as formative of the function.
The mirror image is the basis of lacan s ideal ego, which is a subsequent destination for striving. He presented a paper on the mirror stage on august 3, 1936, at a conference of the international psychoanalytical association in marienbad. European graduate school video lectures 60,738 views. This particular rendition of the mirror stage was delivered at the 16th international congress of psychoanalysis, zurich, july 17, 1949. Sep 22, 2016 in this video, i explore the theory behind psychoanalyst jacques lacan s the mirror stage. Because we feel physical constraints and cannot attain the perfection of that image, we improve ourselves to reach it, hiding weakness behind it. The mirror stage, continued although jacques lacan can be characterized as a philosopher because his life work was based on reinterpreting the canonical writings of a philosopher, sigmund freud 18561939. This is intended as an aide for students of literary criticism, to make it easier for them to comprehend a source often considered. What lacan means by the mirror stage english literature essay. Analysis of jacque lacan s the mirror stage 1644 words 7 pages. Jacques lacan, the mirrorphase as formative of the. In other words, in order to arrive from the 1936 developmental theory of the mirror stage to the 1949 structural theory of the mirror stage, lacan had to pass through the two papers. Lacan was the vanguard of the french neofreudian lay psychoanalyst movement. Its publication was followed by an extended period wherein he published little.
He has some genuinely good ideas notably the mirror stage, the short session, and the conception of psychoanalysis removed from medicine. The idea of the mirror stage is an important early component in lacan s critical reinterpretation of the work of freud. He states that selfrecognition can occur when a person is as young as six months old and sees his or her reflection in a mirror and experiences in play the relation between the movements assumed in the image and the reflected environment, and between. This development is experienced as a temporal dialectic. Robert louis stevenson, jacques lacan, rouben mamoulian, strange case. The creature and the mirror stage foundations of literary.
Drawing on work in physiology and animal psychology, lacan proposes that human infants pass through a stage in which an external image of the body reflected in a mirror. Lacan refers to this conference in the first sentence of the essay. It would be a mistake to think that the other with a capital o of discourse can be absent from any distance that the subject achieves in. Drawing on work in physiology and animal psychology, lacan proposes that human infants pass through a stage in which an external image of the body reflected in a mirror, or represented to the infant through the mother or primary caregiver produces a psychic response that. Pdf the mirror stage as formative of the function of the i as. For lacan, the mirror stage establishes the ego as fundamentally dependent upon external objects, on an other. When lacan goes on to refer to the stage before the i is objectified in the dialectic of identification with the other and to the power of language to restore to the i its function as a subject he writes as if he were referring to a theory of human development which is widely understood and commonly held to be true. Lacans interest in freud and distaste for postfreudian ego psychologists are briefly mentioned, and his clinical work on the mirror stage is discussed in depth. The mirror phase as formative of the function of the i.
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