ENGLISH-SPEAKING SEMINAR IN PARIS
Organized by the Research Group for Clinical Formations in the Lacanian Field

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 25,26, 27 June 2009
Reid Hall, 4, rue de Chevreuse, 75006 Paris
Métro Vavin, RER Port Royal, Bus 58,68,83,91

SEXUAL IDENTITY AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

When we refer to the subject of the unconscious as revised by Lacan, we are used to say that it has no identity, since it is always a « twosome », divided between two signifiers. More generally speaking, the unconscious is not fit to establish an identity, be it the sexual one, due to the fact that it is structured like a language.
Moreover, the uncertainty as to being a man or being a woman is a fact: the subject is troubled and doubts because it wants to be sure that it has actually the sex corresponding to its anatomy – unless a delusional certitude makes it raise objections as to this anatomy.
The sexual act itself is not a remedy, since, following the synopsis of the seminar “The Logic of Fantasy”: “there is no sexual act, meaning : one that could categorically assert for the subject its certitude of being of that particular sex”.
Indeed, the unconscious is at the same time the remedy: with respect to the sexuated couple, the signifier which is unique for the two sexes, the phallus, opens the dialectics between being or having the phallus, which supplants the flaw with respect to the identity. This is not without consequences, since the verdrangung of the phallus as signifier of desire has as effect the projection of the typical manifestations of the sexes at the level of the pure semblant : feminine masquerade and virile parade come on stage in this “comedy of the sexes” in which the ideals of the Other are the leading lights, yet unable to answer to the question concerning the sexual identity.
That was Lacan’s major thesis when he followed in Freud’s footsteps.
The formulas of sexuation, which appear for the first time in “L’étourdit” in 1972 and are taken up again in Encore, go beyond that, yet without invalidating what preceded them. They lay the foundations of a possible definition of a sexual identity that would not be one based on the semblant, but that should be determined in terms of jouissance : the all-phallic determines the side of the man, the not-all phallic determines the side of the woman. This partition into the two “halves” has nothing to do with the anatomy, and it does not imply the object choice, homo or heterosexual. “They make their own choice”, “it is up to them”, “they’re the only ones responsible for sexual being”. Thus, we can find everything on the side of the all-phallic: the heteros, the Montherlant type homos in line with the ethics of the bachelor, hysterics outside of sexes, and even some figures of mystiques such as Angelus Silesius. All this allows us to say that sexual identity remains independent with respect to the object choice, homo or hetero. This thesis has indeed tremendous social implications.
There is one more question to be raised here, coming from the latest developments in the Encore seminar. The knowledge of lalangue, is made of “ones” that are outside of the chain, and which therefore is not structured like a language. Nevertheless it marks the substance body following the first contingent encounters of jouissance. Does this knowledge then have sexuated versions that could have an impact on this partition?

IDENTITÉ SEXUELLE ET INCONSCIENT

Du sujet de l’inconscient repensé par Lacan nous disons qu’il est sans identité, toujours « quelque deux », refendu entre deux signifiants. Plus généralement, du fait de la structure langagière, l’inconscient est impropre à fixer l’identité, fut-elle sexuelle.
De fait l’incertitude sur l’être homme ou femme est de règle : le sujet s’inquiète et questionne pour s’assurer qu’il est vraiment du sexe de son anatomie — à moins qu’une certitude délirante ne le fasse objecter à cette anatomie.
L’acte sexuel lui-même n’est pas un recours, car selon le compte rendu de la logique du fantasme : « il n’y a pas d’acte sexuel, sous-entend : qui fasse le poids à affirmer dans le sujet la certitude de ce qu’il soit d’un sexe ».
L’inconscient est cependant en même temps le recours : le signifiant unique pour les deux sexes, le phallus, ouvre pour ce qui est du couple sexué à la dialectique d’un être ou avoir le phallus, qui supplée au défaut d’identité. Non sans conséquences, la verdrangung de ce signifiant du désir qu’est le phallus ayant pour effet de projeter les manifestations typiques des sexes au niveau du paraître : mascarade féminine et parade virile montent sur la scène d’une « comédie des sexes » où les idéaux de l’Autre tiennent le haut du pavé, sans répondre à la question de l’identité sexuelle.
Telle fut la thèse majeure de Lacan suivant les pas de Freud.
Les formules de la sexuation, introduites en 1972 dans « L’étourdit », et reprises dans Encore s’avancent au-delà, sans annuler cependant ce qui précède.
Elles posent les bases d’une possible définition d’une identité sexuelle. qui ne soit pas de semblant, mais qui soit fonction de la jouissance : le tout phallique fait le côté homme, le pas tout le côté femme. Cette répartition des deux « moitiés » ne doit rien à l’anatomie, et elle n’engage pas non plus le choix d’objet, homo ou hétéro. « Ils ont le choix », « libres à eux » « ils s’autorisent d’eux-mêmes » les êtres sexués. Du coup on trouve de tout du côté du tout phallique : des hétéro, des homo type Montherlant relevant de l’éthique du célibataire, des hystériques hors sexes, et même certains mystiques comme Angélus Silesius. Autant dire que cette identité sexuelle reste indépendante du choix d’objet, homo ou hétéro. La thèse a donc de vaste implications sociales.
Reste une question, ouverte par les derniers développements du séminaire Encore : le savoir de lalangue, fait de uns hors chaîne, qui n’a donc pas structure de langage, et qui marque cependant le corps substance au gré des premières rencontres contingentes de jouissance a-t-il des versions sexuées ayant une incidence sur cette répartition ?
Colette Soler, January 11, 2009, translated by Radu Turcanu.

ORGANISATION :
Contacts : Organising panel
Colette Soler, solc@wanadoo.fr, Luis Izcovich, alizco@wanadoo.fr, Patricia Dahan, patricia@dahan.net, Radu Turcanu, radu.turcanu@free.fr, Sol Aparicio, solaparicio@aol.com

In order to organize the talks , we have split the general topic into three parts :
- Thursday, June 25: Sexe and love
- Friday, June 26: Choice of jouissance and objet choice.
- Saturday, June 27: “L’autre satisfaction”

In February, March, April and May, we will send several notes dealing with our chosen topic and which should open up the expected dialogue on this topic.

REGISTRATION FORM :

LAST NAME :

FIRST NAME :

ADDRESS :

Tel.:

Mail :

Location:
The seminar will take place in Reid Hall, 4, rue de Chevreuse, 75006 Paris
Métro Vavin, RER Port Royal, Bus 58,68,83,91

Registration fees :
- early registration and payment (by check or bank transfer, in euros) until February 31, 2009 : 190 euros ;
- after March 1, 2009 : 240 euros ;
- 110 euros for students (with proof of university registration).

Means of payment (1) :
By Check in euros
By bank transfer in euros to :
Banque : BRED PARMENTIER, tel. : 08 20 33 61 37
Code Banque: 10107, Code Guichet: 00137, Code BIC: BREDFRPPXXX
Numéro de compte: 00412020699, clé: 16, IBAN: FR76 1010 7001 3700 4120 2069 916
On-site payment will be possible, in cash or by check in euros.
Send registration and all checks to :
EPFCL (English seminar), 118, rue d’Asas, 75 006 Paris.

(1) Please underline your choice.

PARIS ENGLISH SEMINAR 2009

THE PARIS ENGLISH SEMINAR IS AN ACTIVITY OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE FREUDIAN FIELD HELD UNDER THE AEGIS OF PARIS 8 UNIVERSITY ( PSYCHOANALYSIS DEPARTMENT) AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE NEW LACANIAN SCHOOL.

THIS YEAR’S PARIS ENGLISH SEMINAR WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 11TH AND MAY12TH, JUST AFTER THE NLS CONGRESS ON LACANIAN INTERPRETATION.
SINCE THE CONGRESS IS GOING TO BE FULLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, ENGLISH SPEAKING COLLEAGUES MIGHT WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REGISTER FOR BOTH EVENTS
.
THE PES WILL BE HELD IN ENGLISH ONLY

REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION
VENUE: 31, rue de Navarin Paris IXè

SCHEDULE: Monday May 11: Morning session: 9AM-12.30 PM
Afternoon session: 2.30 PM-5.45PM
Evening session: 8.30 PM-10.30 PM
Tuesday May 12: Morning session: 9AM-12-30 PM
Afternoon session: 2.30 PM-5.45 PM
Evening: Farewell party from 8.30

REGISTRATION:You will find below a registration form to be filled in and sent by email to Natalie Wulfing : nwulfing@blueyonder.co.uk
Payment can only be accepted in cash (on the premises) or by cheque (in the post to NW)
FEES: US $ 100 / student rate: $ 70

WHEN THE CURE STOPS…
A cure has a beginning, and, with a few exceptions, it does not last for all of the analysand’s life. A variety of stops and ways out can be elicited and differentiated.
When the cure is part of the training of the analyst it is expected to last until its “logical end”: what Lacan called the “pass” between the analysand and the analyst.
Sometimes —and should we say often— patients leave their analysis before reaching this stopping point and, at times, unexpectedly.
During the PES we will try to qualify the different ways a patient might put a stop to his cure: acting-out? act? error of the analyst in the direction of the treatment? satisfaction after a therapeutic result?
In the book “Rapid therapeutic effects in psychoanalysis”, Jacques-Alain Miller invited his colleagues to consider an analysis from the vantage point of a theory of cycles. The theme of this year’s PES concerns issues that have not been treated systematically so far within the Lacanian orientation.
Jacques-Alain Miller and Eric Laurent have accepted to bring a personal contribution to the Seminar.
A. Stevens & P-G Guéguen

Paris English Seminar
MAY 11-12, 2009

Registration Form

Please print and complete this form. Mail the completed form with a cheque for your registration fee (payable to PES-NLS) to:
Paris English Seminar
C/o Natalie Wulfing
67 Oakley Square
NW1 1NJ London
United Kingdom

Contact Natalie Wulfing with any questions at nwulfing@blueyonder.co.uk
or +44 77 48 14 44 59.

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Registration Fee (check one please):
100 US Dollars 70 US Dollars STUDENT RATE
80 Euros 60 Euros STUDENT RATE
70 British Pounds 50 British Pounds STUDENT RATE
420 Israeli Shekels 350 Israeli Shekels STUDENT RATE
150 Australian Dollars 110 Australian Dollars STUDENT RATE