Psychoanalysis and Philosophy in Berlin
"The word is the murder of the thing" says Lacan. Even more so the written word, that is never truly "full," always lacking the subjective context and performative power incorporated in one's enunciative presence. Therefore, it comes with no surprise that reading Lacan's published seminars—while being usually quite engaging—lacks a certain presence that was only… Continue reading Lacan's Gribouille
If you haven’t seen Todd Phillips’ The Joker (2019) you’ve probably heard something about it. Here’s a very brief synopsis (semi-spoiler alert): The film recounts the life of Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix), a comedian living in Gotham City, on the pathway to becoming the ultimate Batman villain—the Joker. Arthur is portrayed as a… Continue reading The Joker (explained?)
Lacanian Affinities Berlin (laLAB) is a Berlin based collective composed of a plurality of individuals from different backgrounds and cultural origins who share an affinity for the teaching of Jacques Lacan. The collective was formed in 2018 and its many ventures include: academic seminars, workshops, artistic projects, community events, publications of sorts and more. laLAB's new… Continue reading Lacanian Affinities Berlin (laLAB) Website is Online
I am happy to announce our new reading seminar starting next week, Tuesday (20.8), 19h, at Stillpoint Spaces Berlin. This time we read one of Lacan's notable papers printed in Écrits: “The Direction of the Treatment and the Principles of Its Power.” Here is a short description of the seminar that you can find on… Continue reading New Semester at the Lacan Guided Reading Group: The Direction of Psychoanalytic Treatment
by Aghi Have you always wanted to know more about Jacques Lacan and psychoanalysis but haven’t found the right company? We are a group of individuals coming from diverse scientific, artistic, and cultural backgrounds sharing an affinity for the work of Jacques Lacan. Our work together in the last year has inspired us to expand… Continue reading Open Day: Lacanian Psychoanalysis on the Street
While Lacan's demeanor, and the general atmosphere in his seminars at the Sainte-Anne hospital, can be said to characterize a zoo, it is Lacan's explicit reference to animals that will be our main interest today. Being a loving dog owner himself (naming his beloved dog Justine after the eponymous sex slave of the Marquis de… Continue reading Lacan and his Animals
Dear readers, I am happy to invite you to our new reading session starting Tuesday (29/05), 19:00, at our round table at Stillpoint Spaces, Berlin (66, Hobrechtstraße, 12047 Berlin). This time we are going to tackle a chapter from Lacan's 11th seminar. This is exciting because the topic of "alienation and separation" is central in… Continue reading Lacan Guided Reading Group \ Berlin
Leo Kanner, an American psychologist, was one of the first practitioners to differentiate what we know today as "autism" from the field of childhood psychosis. Assessing a variety of characteristics in the behaviour of his autistic patients, he went on to identify two main behavioural categories - aloneness, and sameness. Aloneness is characterised by Kanner as… Continue reading Autistic Sameness: Lacan with Amanda Baggs
Only a week ago, in Berlin, Germany, the memory of those devastated by the gruesome and calculated extermination carried out by the Germany of National-Socialism has been commemorated. As in every international Holocaust remembrance day, I come to ponder the memory we are commemorating. For most of us have not witnessed, nor survived, nor fought against,… Continue reading Pain, Memory, and Commemoration
What do we know of Oedipus? We know he was a tragic hero in Greek mythology. We know he unavoidably fulfilled a prophecy that brought him to kill his father and marry his mother, eventually bringing destruction to his city and family. We also know that Freud used the myth of Oedipus to convey some… Continue reading The Significance of the Phallus
