On a Discourse that Might not Be a Semblance: The Seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book XVIII

Lacan's logic for the sexual realm involves exhibiting oneself, which is true of animals. Ethology has detailed the display behavior that precedes and conditions mating, and similar exhibitions have been noted in human beings. However, the real at stake for men is coordinated with a major semblance: the phallus. To serve as grist for science, we must distinguish them from the real that they veil and manifest at the same time. This approach requires us to go beyond the myths invented by Freud, mobilize Aristotle, Peirce, and the theory of quantification, and elucidate the true nature of writing, including both Chinese and Japanese.

Format: Hardback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2024
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

The title of the text is enigmatic, suggesting a connection between men and women and their most intimate and sexual relationships in both reality and dreams. It departs from the biological study of sexuality and explores a different perspective. Lacan offers a logic for this realm, which involves exhibiting oneself, similar to how animals use display behavior to signal their intentions to potential partners. However, the real at stake in this context differs for men and women. For men, the phallus is a significant semblance, while for women, jouissance is more diffuse and unsituable. To sexually encounter a woman, a man must test the phallus against the real, which represents the moment of truth. Feminine jouissance, as a form of jouissance that is not entirely subsumed by the phallus, challenges the universal. This logic suggests that a phallic function is possible, but it requires the audacity to write about the phallus.

Weight: 404g
Dimension: 236 x 161 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509510108