Žižek and Lacanian Psychoanalysis: How to Read Lacan

Summary

This video delves into the complexities of Lacanian psychoanalysis, emphasizing its radical approach to understanding human existence beyond mere psychic disturbances. It explores Lacan's unique linguistic and symbolic structures, which are integral to grasping his theories. The video also introduces Slavoj Žižek's interpretation, which synthesizes Lacanian concepts with Hegelian dialectics and Marxist socio-political critique. Žižek's application of Lacan is particularly focused on the symbolic order and its impact on ideology and societal structures, offering a contemporary perspective on psychoanalysis in socio-political discourse.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Lacanian psychoanalysis, developed by Jacques Lacan, is a complex and challenging field of thought that extends beyond Freudian theory, focusing on the most radical aspects of human existence.
• 🗣️ Lacan's work is characterized by a unique linguistic structure within the French language, often employing graphics and algebraic-like notations to visualize abstract concepts.
• 🤔 The essence of Lacan's teachings is not merely a clinical approach to psychological disturbances but a deeper exploration of human desire and the unconscious, mediated by societal structures.
• 📚 Lacan's seminars, which are a major part of his textual output, are noted for their immediate, organic development of ideas and are recommended for understanding his work despite their complexity.
• 🧠 Slavoj Žižek integrates Lacan with Hegel and Marx, creating a synthesis that bridges psychoanalysis with socio-political critique, focusing on the dialectic materialism present in Lacan's theory.
• 🔍 Žižek's interpretation of Lacan emphasizes the importance of the symbolic order, which is the network of rules and presuppositions that govern our speech and social interactions.
• 🌌 The 'big Other' in Lacanian theory, as explained by Žižek, represents the external rules and regulations that shape our psyche and behavior, akin to an omniscient voice directing our actions.
• 🪞 The imaginary in Lacan's theory refers to the narcissistic ideal of self, which is an internalized image formed through the symbols and structures of the symbolic order.
• 🚫 Žižek challenges traditional Marxist views on ideology, arguing that in modern society, people are cynically aware of their exploitation yet continue to participate in the system, which itself is a new form of ideology.
• 🔐 Lacan's concept of 'the real' is the traumatic core of human existence, a lack or void that is masked by the fantasy we construct through language and symbols, which forms our perceived reality.

Q & A

What is Lacanian psychoanalysis according to Žižek?

For Žižek, Lacanian psychoanalysis is not merely a theory and technique for treating psychic disturbances, but a theory and practice that confronts individuals with the most radical dimension of human existence.

Why is Lacan considered difficult to understand?

Lacan is considered difficult to understand because of his complex use of language, including a sub-language within French, and his use of striking graphics and algebraic-like structures to visualize his ideas.

What does Žižek believe is the most fundamental aspect of Lacanian psychoanalysis?

Žižek believes that the most fundamental aspect of Lacanian psychoanalysis is its confrontation with the radical dimension of human existence, rather than just being a clinical tool for treating psychic disturbances.

How does Žižek incorporate Lacan into his philosophical project?

Žižek incorporates Lacan into his philosophical project by applying Lacanian concepts through the lens of Hegel, Marx, and critical theory, focusing on the dialectic presence in psychoanalysis and the material reflection of human organization and social structures.

What is the role of the 'big Other' in Lacanian theory according to Žižek?

In Lacanian theory, as interpreted by Žižek, the 'big Other' represents the symbolic order that imposes rules and regulations on the subject's psyche, acting as an omniscient voice that shapes our interactions and understanding within society.

How does Žižek explain the relationship between ideology and the symbolic order?

Žižek explains that ideology functions within the symbolic order by shaping our perceptions and actions through language and societal rules, creating a fantasy that we experience as reality, which is a form of artificial construction from our inherent lack or real.

What is the significance of 'desire' in Lacanian psychoanalysis as discussed by Žižek?

In Lacanian psychoanalysis, as discussed by Žižek, 'desire' is seen as an unconscious set of drives that are mediated, repressed, and shaped by external societal forces, and it is the core from which subjects emerge and interact within the symbolic and imaginary orders.

How does Žižek's interpretation of Lacan address the concept of 'truth'?

Žižek, through his interpretation of Lacan, addresses 'truth' as something that is often subverted into the 'real' itself, suggesting that our perceived reality is built upon a fantasy constructed from our inherent lack or real, and that true reality is often beyond our rational comprehension.

What is the role of 'jouissance' in Žižek's application of Lacanian theory?

In Žižek's application of Lacanian theory, 'jouissance' refers to a complex form of pleasure that is derived from pain or trauma, and it is used to explain how individuals find pleasure in their engagement with ideologies and social constructs, even when they are aware of their inherent flaws.

How does Žižek use Lacanian concepts to critique modern political systems?

Žižek uses Lacanian concepts to critique modern political systems by arguing that these systems create a distance from their rules and regulations, allowing individuals to perceive themselves as free while actually being more deeply integrated into the ideological system, thus exerting a less visible but more pervasive power.

What does Žižek mean when he says that ideology is not a 'false consciousness' but a reality itself?

Žižek suggests that ideology is not merely a 'false consciousness' that masks reality, but rather the very constructs of language, meaning, and societal rules (the symbolic order) that shape our perceived reality, making ideology an integral part of our experienced world.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Introduction to Lacanian Psychoanalysis

The paragraph introduces Jacques Lacan, a Freudian psychoanalyst known for his complex theories and writing style. It highlights the difficulty in understanding Lacan's work due to his unique use of language and his incorporation of graphics and algebraic structures to convey his ideas. The paragraph sets the stage for an exploration of Lacan's theories, particularly through the lens of Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who synthesizes Lacanian psychoanalysis with Hegelian dialectics and Marxist socio-political critique. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of engaging with Lacan's work not just as a clinical tool but as a philosophical movement that addresses the fundamental dimensions of human existence.

05:01

🌐 Lacanian Psychoanalysis and Its Socio-Political Context

This paragraph delves into Žižek's interpretation of Lacan, emphasizing the integration of psychoanalysis with socio-political analysis. It discusses how Lacan's theories can be seen as materialistic and reflective of social structures and institutions. The paragraph introduces the idea that psychoanalysis can reveal symptoms of larger social pathologies, drawing parallels between individual symptoms and societal issues like commodity fetishism. It also touches on the concept of desire as a universal driver of human behavior and the Lacanian notion of 'the Real,' which is the traumatic core of human existence that is masked by the symbolic and imaginary orders.

10:02

🗣️ The Symbolic Order and the Big Other in Lacanian Theory

The paragraph focuses on the symbolic order in Lacanian psychoanalysis, which is the network of rules, regulations, and presuppositions that govern our speech and social interactions. It introduces the concept of the 'Big Other,' an omnipresent voice that internalizes these rules into our psyche. The paragraph uses Žižek's example of a Mexican soap opera director to illustrate how the Big Other operates, influencing actors' performances through a set of unspoken rules. It also discusses how the symbolic order and the Big Other are integral to understanding the Lacanian subject, who is shaped by language and societal structures.

15:03

🌌 The Imaginary and the Real in Lacanian Psychoanalysis

This paragraph explores the concepts of the imaginary and the real in Lacanian theory. The imaginary is the realm of images and symbols that form our self-concept, often based on fantasies and misperceptions. The real, on the other hand, is the traumatic, unrepresentable core of human existence that is concealed by the constructs of the symbolic and imaginary orders. The paragraph discusses how the real is often encountered in moments of trauma and how it challenges our constructed reality. It also touches on Žižek's application of these concepts to understand modern ideologies and the ways in which individuals are integrated into societal systems.

20:04

🔄 Žižek's Application of Lacanian Psychoanalysis to Ideology

The paragraph discusses Žižek's application of Lacanian psychoanalysis to the concept of ideology. It challenges the traditional Marxist view of ideology as false consciousness and instead posits that people are aware of the exploitative dynamics around them but continue to participate in them due to a sense of skepticism and fear. Žižek argues that this cynicism is the new form of ideology, where individuals participate in systems they know to be flawed. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'jouissance,' a form of pleasure derived from trauma and repression, and discusses how it relates to the dominant ideology and political factors.

25:05

🏔️ The Sublime Object of Ideology and Truth in Žižek's Lacanian Analysis

In this paragraph, the focus is on Žižek's concept of the 'sublime object of ideology,' which represents a truth that is overwhelming and beyond reason. It discusses how this concept relates to Lacan's notion of the real and how it is used to understand the subversion of truth in societal and political contexts. The paragraph also touches on Žižek's view of modern regimes and their ability to exert power through the creation of distance from set rules and regulations, allowing individuals to perceive themselves as free while actually being more integrated into the ideological system. The paragraph concludes with a call to support the content creator's work, emphasizing the importance of Patreon and YouTube memberships in sustaining the production of such in-depth philosophical and theoretical content.

Keywords

💡Lacanian psychoanalysis

Lacanian psychoanalysis refers to the school of thought developed by the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, which emphasizes the role of language and symbols in shaping human desire and the unconscious. In the video, it is discussed as a complex and challenging theory that goes beyond treating psychic disturbances to confronting the most radical dimensions of human existence.

💡The Big Other

The Big Other in Lacanian theory represents the symbolic order of language and societal rules that shape an individual's psyche. The video explains how the Big Other is not just the rules themselves but the internalized voice that enforces these rules within us, influencing our actions and desires.

💡Desire

Desire in Lacanian psychoanalysis is an unconscious force that drives human behavior and is often shaped by societal structures and the symbolic order. The video connects desire to the lack or void that individuals try to fill through various means, such as language and social status.

💡The Real

The Real in Lacanian theory is the traumatic, unsymbolized, and unmediated aspect of reality that exists beyond language and symbols. The video mentions that the Real is often experienced in moments of trauma or crisis, where the constructed fantasy of reality breaks down.

💡The Symbolic Order

The Symbolic Order is the realm of language, rules, and social structures that mediate human relationships and experiences. The video explains how the Symbolic Order provides a framework for understanding and navigating reality, but also how it can lead to alienation and misinterpretation.

💡The Imaginary

The Imaginary in Lacanian theory refers to the mental images and self-representations that individuals construct based on their experiences and interactions. The video uses the example of the McDonald's logo to illustrate how the Imaginary is influenced by the Symbolic Order.

💡Signifiers and Signifieds

Signifiers and signifieds are key concepts in semiotics and are integral to Lacanian theory. A signifier is the sound or image that represents an idea, while the signified is the concept itself. The video discusses how these elements interact within the Symbolic Order to shape our understanding of reality.

💡Žižek

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher and cultural critic who applies Lacanian theory to socio-political analysis. The video discusses how Žižek uses Lacanian concepts to critique modern ideologies and the functioning of power in society.

💡Ideology

In the context of the video, ideology is discussed as a set of beliefs and values that serve to maintain the status quo and support the existing social and economic order. Žižek challenges traditional Marxist views of ideology as 'false consciousness' and instead sees ideology as an inherent part of our reality.

💡Enjoyment (Jouissance)

Jouissance, or enjoyment in English, refers to a complex Lacanian concept that involves finding pleasure in pain or trauma. The video explains how this concept is used by Žižek to analyze the paradoxical nature of modern ideologies, where people derive satisfaction from the very things that cause them distress.

Highlights

Jacques Lacan, a late Freudian, developed Lacanian psychoanalysis, which is known for its complexity and unique approach to language and graphics.

Lacan's work is not just difficult due to his French language and sub-language but also because of his use of graphics and algebraic structures to visualize concepts.

Lacan's theory is not merely a clinical tool but a philosophical movement that confronts individuals with the radical dimensions of human existence.

Lacan's seminars are a major source of his work, offering an immediacy and organic development of ideas.

Confusion is considered a proper process when engaging with Lacan's work, as it encourages multiple interpretations.

Slavoj Žižek incorporates Lacan into his work, combining Lacanian theory with elements of Hegel, Marx, and critical theory.

Žižek's application of Lacan is primarily sociological, focusing on power relations, ideology, and socio-political analysis.

Lacan's theory of the 'big Other' is explored, which refers to the external rules and regulations that shape our psyche.

The symbolic order in Lacanian theory is composed of unspoken rules and presuppositions that govern our social interactions.

Žižek discusses the 'subject supposed to know,' which refers to the idea that our actions are influenced by an assumed knowledge or authority.

The imaginary order, as described by Lacan, represents the narcissistic ideal of self and the internalization of symbols.

Lacan's concept of the 'real' is the traumatic nothingness that underlies our constructed reality.

Žižek's interpretation of ideology involves a modern, cynical approach where people are aware of their exploitation but continue to participate.

The concept of 'jouissance' is introduced, which refers to a pleasure derived from trauma and repression.

Žižek argues that modern regimes integrate individuals into the system by allowing them to perceive themselves as free subjects.

The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of applying Lacan's theories to understand power relations and the construction of reality.

Transcripts

[Music]

the late freudian who seemingly

developed what we now know as lacanian

psychoanalysis it is no secret lacan is

one of the most difficult thinkers to

read and it's not just the way he speaks

the way he writes within a certain

language

and his language being french it's that

within french a common language we can

technically learn he has a sub language

within it a lingual structure that is

also applied with striking graphics

algebraic like ways to concretely

visualize what he is trying to say

to begin this we must address to many

the constant question amongst all the

confusing language confusing graphics

what the is le khan really trying

to say

simply put there's a whole lot of things

if freud was popularized for being one

of the first to attempt to understand

the very human psychological

disturbances within us what then is

lacan a freudian trying to get at

well according to g-jek

for lachan psychoanalysis at its most

fundamental is not a theory and

technique of treating psychic

disturbances but a theory and practice

that confronts individuals with the most

radical dimension of human

existence there is something else we

must impart before moving on that is

simplest way there is one constant look

on and parts that is often ignored it's

that for every sentence everything he

technically says there are multiple

different meanings and different

interpretive things you can project onto

it and that's the point because of his

free-flowing style much of lacan's work

is in seminar form speech telecon

offered an immediacy to things speech if

anything allowed things ideas

developments to exist in the most

imminent organic way

thus his seminars can be found in text

form and is one major actual text the

accrete

with confusion in mind lacan notoriously

said the accrete is one major book isn't

necessarily meant to be understood

therefore in any video where i talk

about lacan i state that confusion is

the proper process with him

on the very interpretive eminence of

lacombe we will be using jijic's

application of him

here we will learn lakhan via the lens

of xiz and hopefully give further

context to both

before getting into the body of this

video it would be wise to understand the

philosophical history gisek brings with

him as jijek goes he can be seen as

someone who brings together lacan hegel

and marx with some authors there

sprinkled in via marx himself

with g-check this is brought to the

forefront into the very synthesized

socio-political and psychoanalytic

analysis he is known for

but for a majority who also don't really

understand what g-shack is talking about

as the internet seems to insultingly

fixate more on him as a wacky celebrity

regarding zizek with this video we will

be putting la khan to the front and how

gisek incorporates him we will be doing

this with an extra emphasis on xizhik's

text how to read lacan with all this out

of the way let's get into the video this

is how to read look on just in video

form

getting right into it if we are able to

understand lacan via the lens of zizek

the most underspoken aspect about xi

jiax's interpretive element of lacan is

this

we students of philosophy and also we

had a very good background in frankfurt

school hegelian marxism german idealism

heidegger and so on so of course we felt

closest to that part of

so-called structuralist later called the

construction materials which was closer

to the tradition of

german idealism german philosophy the

other reason is that from the very

beginning we were reading

as a

thinker enabling us to analyze power

relations ideological mechanisms and so

on and for us lacon works

worked much better than foucault or

altisser

in this domain so it was mostly for

these reasons but i think the dominant

reason would have been philosophy we are

all philosophers in slovenia lacong was

from the beginning exclusively a

philosophical movement a movement of

philosophers who are basically hegelian

the first proper way to understand

g-jack and lacan is to view lacan

through a hegelian lens

and then from here an application of

hegel and lacan with the further

socioeconomic lens of marx and later

marx's thinkers such as all thus air and

the frankfurt school according to

g-check the dialectic is present

throughout lacan and psychoanalysis as a

whole not only this psychoanalysis can

be seen as something very material

reflective of and within human

organization social structures and

institutions

here we can see the kernel of marx seen

with a synthesis of dialectical

materialism something that jijic claims

is applicable surrounding lacanian

psychoanalysis

this is why jijic points out lecon's

claim that the symptom in psychoanalytic

context was first found and marx not

freud the symptom in psychoanalysis

being noticeable behaviors or negative

functions that may stem from repressed

trauma or internal issues like a sneeze

maybe a symptom or a biological

indicator of allergies in psychoanalysis

we can use this in social and

psychological context around certain

human behaviors that indicate larger

social pathologies for example marx's

notion of commodity fetishism commodity

fetishism being the people's worship of

say capital money commodities as

something deified religious and

something innately natural to marx we

abstracted commodities away from its

core foundation that being the labor

that produced them thus this fetish this

warship and abstract religious thinking

around commodities could be seen as a

symptom of capitalist economics before

we get intellicon we must establish a

baseline a sort of universal for human

existence this goes beyond lacan to many

other thinkers of the past as well but

this universal driver can be seen as

desire

our behaviors actions can in one way or

another be seen as a product of said

desire

this is the root from here we emerge as

subjects where in psychoanalysis we

would claim split subject split between

the conscious and subconscious there's a

whole history debating on how our desire

is shaped if it's shaped from society

things a god but we will start from the

base origin within psychoanalysis

seen in the likes of freud

that being desire as something

unconscious an unconscious set of drives

mediated repressed and shaped from

external society around us but to look

on the origin of this desire comes from

a lack known as monkey

this lac is the actual core real

nothingness from this nothingness we

build up an artifice an exterior to make

sense of things things such as language

social status society as a whole we will

delve more into this nothingness a

nothingness lacan calls the real and the

atmospheric structures around us such as

the symbolic and imaginary that protect

us from this traumatic nothingness again

a part of lacan is that you should be

confused bear with me here we will get

through the core terminology within

lacon then get to the zhizhekian

application of him

the other dimension tulakhan that zizik

has incorporated into his philosophical

project is his description of signifiers

symbols and lingual structures

essentially analyzing modes of

communication and how we navigate

reality around us

again these are the very structures that

protect us from this said lack and real

as we stated before lacan was deeply

interested in the study of language that

being linguistics and the study of signs

and their interpretation that being

semiotics and he was a large student of

one of the founders of semiotics

ferdinand de

thus ashish states throughout lacan is

not merely a clinical figure or uses

psychoanalysis as a mere clinical tool

this brings us into the symbolic order

one of the three main categories

corresponding to the quote-unquote

reality that lacan imparts on us but

when explaining the symbolic order

imaginary and the real i will be using

examples from jijek's how to read lacan

and his contextual use here he gives

very tactile examples that not only

helps us understand lacan but also

elaborates on the project that is

g-check just know before we get into the

core lacanian terminology i am

purposefully focusing on jijek's more

sociological use of lacan rather than

something more clinical or abstractly

philosophical something not vacuously

related to lacan all by himself

so on to the symbolic ggx states what

then is this symbolic order composed of

when we speak or listen for that matter

we never merely interact with others our

speech activity is grounded on our

accepting and relying on a complex

network of rules and other kinds of

presuppositions first there are the

grammatical rules that i have to master

blindly and spontaneously if i were to

bear these rules in mind all the time my

speech would break down

then there is the background of

participating in the same life world

that enables me and my partner in

conversation to understand each other

the rules that i follow are marked by a

deep divide there are rules and meanings

that i follow blindly out of habit but

of which if i reflect i can become at

least partially aware such as common

grammatical rules and there are rules

that i follow meaning that haunt me in

ignorance such as unconscious

prohibitions

this is important what constitutes this

externality of social reality is a set

of unspoken innate rules and

constitutions you measure yourself your

faithfulness to this reality this order

by interacting with said rules and

standards jesus then speaks on the big

other whom he claims operates within the

symbolic order as an omniscient voice

rather than the big other being merely

the symbolic order itself which is often

portrayed as the case within lacan if

the symbolic order is of set external

rules

then this otherness is the other who

pins these rules down into our psyche on

the big other xi gives the example of a

set of mexican soap operas where much of

the acting is improvised and the

director speaks to the actors via

microphone and earpiece frantically

telling them how to act and to speak on

camera the director can be seen as the

big other but the director's efficacy

isn't simply in telling them what to do

it's that amidst the frantic chaos he

forces the crew to dig deep into the

larger regulations rules and impulses as

actors forcing them to interact deeply

within the symbolic order around them as

to improvise to zizek the power of the

big other isn't his direct tangible

power say as the director himself but as

an affect a presupposition that we

assume is real an empty power that still

hones in on our agency as subjects

hence the director isn't powerful it's

the effect that exists after he speaks

to the actor that is

this is visualized as what we know as

the quote-unquote subject supposed to

know chew on that one for a bit

the symbolic order the big other these

lingual and symbolic rules are arguably

the biggest piece in lacanian

psychoanalysis that zizek focuses on for

this we will continue to put extra

emphasis on the symbolic order but of

course we will touch on the imaginary

and the real so let's do just that

the narcissistic ideal of self and

internalization of said symbols and

internalization that develops the image

of our full self or really what we

simply think to be ourselves of course

this is an image based imaginary of self

that isn't true to lacan it isn't real

it's a mirage

thus this can be seen as the imaginary

we won't go directly into the tragic

origins here with lacan's mirror stage

as time doesn't permit us so here are

some resources on this above that you

can watch after this video the symbolic

order and the imaginary and its

difference confuses some so here's an

example in the realm of semiotics a

field that lecon takes from immensely

take a sign made up

of what we would call the signified

insignifier

the visual component say this logo is

the signified and can be seen with the

logic of the imaginary then we take the

phrase i'm loving it as the signifier

which can be seen as the symbolic order

when you hear this phrase it gives us

the mental image the imaginary of the

mcdonald's logo this isn't a one-to-one

for an example per se but it's helpful

to see how the symbolic order lingual

structures rules and regulations gives

us a set of visual meaning to go off of

seen in the imaginary this is why lacan

claims as children we are lost from our

initial real state with the creation of

language this real state is what lechon

calls the real for the sake of time i

can only elaborate on the reel in

conjunction with the symbolic order in

the imaginary the real is the traumatic

nothingness the lack that is hidden by

our construction of the fantasy that we

experience as reality which is to say

our reality molded together by the

imaginary and symbolic order concepts of

self language is just that a fantasy

thus the real is often experienced

within traumatic context the

evisceration of the ego self and

constructions around us of course as

stated we won't go into a deep dive of

the reel but i'll also link some

resources here

[Music]

all right still with me now that we have

the abstract understanding of the khan

in order and how reality is structured

to him his lingual approach to

psychoanalysis

from here we get to the application of

lacan from zhizhak himself

my opinion here's where stuff gets

really interesting so like stated

earlier gig has a sociological approach

to this and he's coming from and

building off of the background of

critical theory off of the frankfurt

school and marxists such as louis

althuzeir thus he is concerned with the

function of ideology

like desire there is a long

philosophical debate about exactly what

ideology is and how it functions

here zizek challenges the original raw

marxist approach while still maintaining

its form there's the bit of hegel in

here by the way marx deemed ideology to

be what he called false consciousness

a set standard of ideals spawning from a

ruling class whose core function is to

uphold whatever social and economic

system is still currently in place

whether that be in a feudal society or a

capitalistic one

thus these ideals are constructed in

tandem with the existing human

organization of a given time period so

ideology is a masking of quote-unquote

true or universal set of ideals

naturally we are on shaky ground if we

are to rely on a concept of hidden truth

no surprise quite a few thinkers

challenge this notion one we have to be

guaranteed access to this truth in

general that this positivistic element

of truth exists in the first place and

two the presupposition doesn't match the

general common ideology today

that of radical cynicism this is jijac's

main angle here if we are to take marx's

definition of ideology at 100

we must accept the notion that people

just blindly go about life without the

knowledge of current exploitative class

dynamics around them to z-jack it's the

very opposite most people understand to

at least some extent the exploitation

they and others face

people are rather skeptical they are not

very trusting and this skepticism itself

now functions as the new mode of

ideology rather than the traditional

pure marxist definition the false

consciousness

on ideology zizek takes the traditional

marxist saying of they do not know it

but they are doing it and flips it to

they know it but they are doing it

anyway let's say it again they know it

but they are doing it anyways

we understand the vapid nature of pop

culture yet we consume it we understand

the ridiculousness of buying a new

smartphone every year yet we do it

anyways we understand the flaws and the

very real problems within our economic

system yet in action we will defend it

to the death and the name of fear

and the current safety of the

exploitation we are personally used to

if the traditional notion of ideology

was an artificial masking of reality the

zhijeon position and arguably the

lacanian one is that this ideology this

artifice is reality itself

as lacan theorized we build up a fantasy

with language meaning seen in the

symbolic order and within the visual

imaginary an artificial building up from

this black silicon our reality is just

that fantasy at least an experience thus

fantasy is really just our experienced

reality

and with zizek he brings this notion

into the long philosophical discussion

around ideology tajik when you're

looking at applications of lacan the

very realms of the symbolic and

imaginary

become an extremely efficient

centerpiece for visualizing modern

functions of ideology and struggles for

political emancipation

but it doesn't end there there's even

more substance from g-jet you know how

we talked about cynicism being the

dominant ideology well there's

psychoanalytical logic behind the

function of this drawn from lacan as

well this moves us into the

psychoanalytic concept of just jouson's

within

context but what is this jousan's jousan

technically translates to pleasure and

english but as pleasure goes in english

it's not exactly its meaning lecon

designates different modes of jsons but

regarding zigzag specifically the

jouson's g-check typically references

is something of pleasure and pain or a

pleasure that derives itself from forms

of trauma and repression

this might not completely make sense at

first but will contextualize it

if now the dominant mode of ideology is

one of cynicism just as a political

factor seems to be one of the largest

drivers

this just can be seen as a negative

pleasure something that derives a kernel

of pleasure from what is necessarily a

somewhat traumatic thing or something

that instills a level of suffering say

the stereotypical white liberal reliance

on racism to be an anti-racist

themselves in order to instill this

meaning thus necessitating racism in the

end the weird online personalities who

obsess over

aoc

when people say i dare the government to

take my guns or seen in films such as

the hurt locker the pleasurable

proximity to war something that

devastates you rips you apart but when

you come home you cannot function within

your built up fantasy without it

films such as casablanca showing the

traumatic and violent angle to love an

angle that we so crave

this has larger consequences to it too

the new neo-marxist analysis that jijek

makes is that regimes and governments

now function in such a way that in which

there is a distance from its set rules

and regulations

when you create this distance when a

society revokes limits regulations and

barriers allows you to perceive yourself

as a free subject above the fray of

ideology it is only then that you are

now properly integrated into the system

rather than clearly abiding by a set

code ideologically going against a code

is the proper integration it is the

proper code this is why the notion of a

post-ideological society claimed by

individuals like tony blair is among the

most ideological sentiment today

clearly we see the tone of

psychoanalysis here around desire

libidinal drive but zizek further

elaborates that hegel is here too the

proper way to read lacan is with the

dialectic and mind continuing the

discussion of ideology and regimes

g-checks claim that law like the subject

in psychoanalysis is split from the

social law we integrate within the

adoption of language a given regime's

rules seen in the makeup of the symbolic

order to the more core libidinal innate

law that finds itself repressed cut from

innate justice and desire

here modern regimes are more able to

locate this kernel of desire and find

mediation within social law by creating

this distance by allowing you to

perceive yourself as a free subject and

in more accurate terms actually allowing

you to be quote unquote free it is

through this freedom that you are unfree

and you are barred within the

ideological system around you with this

zig shares the view with foucault and

marx that modern regimes are able to

exert a power that is less visible and

farther reaching than pre-modern regimes

and it's through the proximity of

jesusance and split law that they are

able to do this

now this is incredibly important you

know how i said g-jek is primarily

concerned with lacan's symbolic order

and imaginary i sort of lied he's very

much concerned with the real as well but

i said this with good reason ggek's

imminent analysis his more immediate

political theory is mainly tethered to

these structures of the symbolic and the

imaginary as it mainly focuses on the

artifice of society politics and

language but there is an element of

g-check that still contends with pecans

real it's his notion of truth or rather

how truth is subverted into the real

itself but it's only this way through

extension and gjx sublime object of

ideology which we have covered link

above g-check elaborates on a truth

which he spells with a capital t

through khan's notion of the sublime

sublime is something that supersedes and

overwhelms our senses something beyond

reason and explanation sublime can be

seen as going up to the swiss mountains

and just being in complete awe of what

you're experiencing it's something

terrifying yet beautiful something that

reason that rationality can't quite

grasp on to

here we see an approximation with the

real something that resists the symbolic

and imaginary here i have done little to

truly get into the density of the whole

project that is g-jack and the whole

project that is lacan but when asking

the question of the proper way to

interpret and read lacan given his

complexity it's as tricky as it is

simple it's that there is no textbook

way to read look on it's not as simple

as deciphering his graph of jousson's

cavoy

his algebraic like code which is

precisely why xishik doesn't do this in

his text atari lacon the more tangible

answer is to apply him lacan is seen

presciently through situation

one that pokes through kernels of trauma

incident innuendo

repressed desire and in many ways like

film something that seeks to show the

most radical nature of our existence

and with the likes of g-shack we see the

application of lacan and socio-political

context in the vein of neo-marxism most

of the literature you find in lacan this

series of seminars aren't necessarily

written by default with these seminars

lacan operates as an analysin and

analysand of a crowd and because of this

there is a language that is to be

interpreted heavily and left to the

readers

even his main text the accre operates in

a forum that wildly oscillates in

meaning to see lacan is to see him

through the eyes of power relations that

go beyond purely social bounds or

individual bounds

like freud we repress ourselves and

through this we build up an artifice of

fantasy a very sociological fantasy that

we can only see as reality thus

according to xi's and lacan it is

through this negation this nothingness

this complete vacuum that we experience

reality as our quote-unquote selves

thank you all so much for watching i

have a giant request to make these

videos take a ton of time and effort to

create and without all the support on

patreon and the youtube member section i

simply couldn't do this as this is my

main job and source of income now the

youtube algorithm doesn't like the

formula of fewer but longer indents

videos much prefers a constant stream of

video releases

thus given the nature of this channel

with theory and philosophy and

attempting to make it as high quality as

possible i'm kind of stuck here youtube

alone wouldn't allow me to pay the bills

and patrons and members allow me to do

just that you get all kinds of perks

like voting on future videos early

access exclusive content discord and

reading group access and more so

hopefully along with keeping this

channel going and the core content free

i can make it worth your while and

bonuses

so if you could pledge a couple dollars

a month this is the only thing that

ensures our survival again thanks so

much and i will see you all later

you