Lacanian B1ology and the Event of the Body 7

Lacanian Biology and the

Event of the Body*
analyze the living bctng. not m tts superb stature-Its umty ev 1-
dent at the macro..,cop1c level-but rather at the level of the mol-
ecule. the processes m play highlight the physu.:s and the chemis-
t[) but do not at all themselves from the pro-
cesses wh1ch untold m mammate matter. 1n men systems
Lacan 's statement. then. 1s pertcctl)' true m spite of the
progress of molecular b1olog)' As Jacob sa1d. the decline
of the concept of life does not date from the m1ddlc of thl\ century.
but from the advent of thermodynamics: "'The operational value of
the concept of ltfe had to declme after the b1rth ol thermodynamics."
JACQL EC)-ALAI'i MILLER
tran,Jated b) B \RBt\R,\ P. FULKS
• This 1s perfectly coherent with that explained
b) Lacan in the beginnmg c hapters of hi s Semmar The Ego/ where

I. THE ALC.ORtt H\ls 01 LIFE

• he pointed out that Freud1an biology is first ot all an energetics.
Thts is the route he \\Ould take up. tn h1s own \\-ay. as he resumes
THE CONCEPT OF LIFE • that year and aftem ards the lessons of Bewmd the Pleamre Princtple
. d' elf a(Ya ·n "ith the work of Freud. Lal.an. and the prac- Because Freud1an bJOlog) 1s first of all an energetics. Lacan al-
Fm mg ffi)' :: 1
ticc of P') choanal) sis. I 'ee that I have carefull) an • )O\\\ htmself to 'a) that Freudtan b1olog)' "not a b1olog) . Thts i\
explanation of the coordinate' of concept of hte. I mu't say + so tf we understand by biOlogy a d1sctplme \\hlch has life as 1ts
that this is an eminent I) problemattc concept. and ot \\ htch object. but tt IS certain ly less correct now that we have in some
Lacan ,aid. in his 1955 Seminar: ''The phenomenon of ltte rematns way a biology Without life. a biology which has a .. 1ts object- thiS
in ih e-.,ence complete!) Impenetrable. It contmues to escape us ts one of Jacob's expresSion<.,. but it could JUSt as well be Lacan 's-
no matten' hat ,, e do." One might ask if Lac an kne\\ Jt that ttme "'the algorithms of the llvmg world." ThiS expression reveals the
of the decisi\e ,tep ofWahon and Crick ·s truly epochal discover) notion of a procedure. marked by a certam vagueness. central to
of the ,tructure of 0:'\A. Their' el)' bnef tmtial article Molecu- biology. In thl\ context Lacan formulated m Encore (1972)' what
lar Structure of Nucleic Acids." appeared in the journal ,'\awre in could pass for an analyt1c concept of hfe whtch seems to define
1953 and inaugurated the triumphal years of genetics. We are to- life asjomuance ""We don't k.no\\ "'hat it means to be alive ex-
da) at the da\\ n of the centuf) \\ hich will see the sensational prac- cept for the follo"'mg fact. that a body 1s somethmg that enjoys
tical consequences of this step. . 1tself (cela se JOlllt)" It 1s that a defintt1on of life? It JS rather the
Is the phenomenon of life therefore penetrable after. the opposite. We do not know what life is. We only know that there is
discmery of this structure? Quite the contrary In 1970. one of the noJouissanc:e Without li fe. And why not fonnulate the pnnciple in
craftcrs of the triumph-. of molecular genetics. Fram;ois Jacob. could
a). in hi book The Logic of Life: "We do not quest_ion life any
• thts way: hfe 1s the condttton of jouissance But that ts not all. It 1s
prectsel)' a matter of hfe under the form of the body Joui'isance IS
more in the laboratot); \\C no longer try to encompas' tts contour.., unthmkable \\ithout the livmg body.ttselfthe cond1tton ofjouisscmce
We onl) lt) to analyze living y-.tems.'' 1 It is a fact that, \\'hen \\e Thts pomt of departure JUSllfies reopenmg the b1olog)' dossier.

• L Pun>. Spnng 19<19

Lacanian Blolog)' and th.c L:' • • ol . the Bod) 9
lacan icm ink.

livino with out a dd th • hi .

] • l..tFE Al'>D TilE OF THE 80D'I tl. 4./nnhcrt \ Dn'Wil " pro em ol continuit) . Olderot 's
'' • ' wnttcn to 1
In our d ,cipline. "h1ch j, clinical. life present-. 1tselt to u' m the: ceeds the poor One of h d . . d . s 10\\. at what pomt hfe cx-
1 e\.traordmarv dri\c <)t. p ol .>t. •m . •tppcar" to the contrary like an
fom <'f rhe indi' idual body. nnd "e can remam there \\re are c\·cn · w 1 cra11on D' AI, .
1 erl) stated. Diderot and d ' "'I • cmbcrt s dream. prop-
oblicc:d to remain there. " emucrt'' c< • . .
c 11 , there th.ll one can make a dtstmction bet,,een life and the tmage of a w. arm ol b··. I, •. b >m cr...atlon. bcgms with
1 -.c' t C\l:fl cJ h a ·J
bod). , the! cxpre"ion "h' ing bod) ·· Life i' not reduced to bod) a bemg. an mdl\ !dual. an aninr I I . • l: ump that appears ao;
3 111 an a'"emblage. but If w·· I..J th.t ·,. t I" e' idently an illusion It IS
ih be,tutiful and e' ident unit) There ts e\ idem:e of the indi' idual . . "u ur e IItle leg th b·
10
hod\, ofthe hod) a' One. ,,hich 1, a qgn of the tmaginar) order. "1th. 1f we pa'" t·. . s c cc' are holdmg on
u 10111 COntlgUit t ' .
• Lel ll' t.tke care to he a little tle\.1ble 111 que,twning the ...ee a whole and an anltn·tl• one W e kn ·) o contmuJty,
· we can
"nee he's dreaming htlt .. ow It, not trom d"Aiembcrt.
,tatu' ot the indi' idual in regard 10 life. and e ... peciall) the 'tatm. of' • · 11om 0 oct or
d Alembert"o; oncmc deliria t<) M c·II c d c Lespm
s >d
< r cu who narrates
rhi' One "ho appear' in ,ome wa) natural All of Lacan·, Semi- ·· H
nar calkd Encore 1s pen aded b) thts 111"1stent mtcrrogatJOn mu't 1magmes the swarm of bees tran 1.01. •d · asse. ence. he
" me mto a vcntabl 1
\\e think thai the One come' 10 u' from the prete\.t of th" tmagi- d reams. m the same vem th. h
· c uman pol)p Th e po yp
. and
nar) e,•idencc of the unil) of the bod)·) What '' the value of the atmosphere of d" Alembert' s d rc,tm , . where ·y) Is put" you m the
other po it1on. rhe rhe'i' that the One (.·orne' to u' from the ... igni- the One become multiple nat , . d <u see progressively
111 urc an the multlpl, . fi
fier and not from the One of the bod)'! Lacan did a lot to te"t thi' a perpetual re'llerslblllly from one to the other cas one. mally
e' idence. In particular he ''rote a -.entence about zoolog) '' hich All th" eltdes enormous!) at the of . .
ments attention and de\ elopmcnt. ··zoolog) can proceed from the dream.
h '>tnce everythinn e
is found . h d Alemben
111 l C general tlux· e\e h s
pretense of the individual to make being (erre) oflife (' inmt). hut the c anges. e\ef}thing pa......e,. onl) the all . · . f}t mg
individual i' dimini hcd b) thi' di,cipline to the le' el of a pol) pal) ." the One-all which stops at the boundaries
\\hen \\e are dealing" ith animal,'' ith the li\ ing ( dwmr). there I" onl) one huge li' ing animal which . . . Y
Ill the indJ\ idual. the bod) -one. We can sa) that the lh ing heing you speak. of individuat... ') None exi""' Th Is lt..,elf And
1 realized 111 an indi' idual. But "hat can "e then make nf the
individual. t .., the all." · ere Is only a sole great
1 1
pol) p .the pol) pane that in ... pired our 18th centuf) materiali,h- It .happened that Lacan . precisely during the '-'e h
Tremble) · famou' pol) paf) "hich was conceived as 'imulta- he was· tn.·mg
·; to gl\c JOIII\wnc
· . stature \\h1le he ; ars " en
e Its
· h· · was present-
neou I) mineral, \Cgetahle and animal? What to make of the colon) mg IS lectures and pur,umg hl'> avocatton of bu)mg old b . k
of coral in" hich corporeal individuality become" emmentl y proh- looked through thJs
Th , matenali't literature He evo'ed"' M aupertUis
oo . s.
lematic'! We find ouN!lves before a sort of collectiVe Is mar"'s the dl..,tancc we h,\Ve come troln th .
of tt f e momsm
' iduali.t:ed being" hich ...cem" to be there in order to till the gap' in . rna er. o a matter "'h lch mel udcs Ii fe Take t·
Dd t · h h. · . or example
the chain of being,. I ero . Wit I'> vnaltst Spmo/1'>111 tn which cvcrythmo even ·t .
1s d b o• s one
D'AJ.£.\IRERT'S DREAM to e s<n,ate. Thu' he begins hi' conversation With
em who says to hun: "But you arc not gomg to tell me
A ''hole line of thought has been devoted to the notion that e\ er) -
that stone Is sensate- But why not? It cries. \\.CJUSt don't hear lt."
thing i continuou in matter. leading us from the inanimate to the
•
ian ink Lacanian Biology and the Event of the Body II

By degrees he demonstmtes. to have proof that the) apprehended the unit"· of th

. f . . J
r·
e stgn• 1er 0 ne at
. 'b t) the c•rO\\ th of vegetable. and \l:!,.l:labk .•1b t he Ie\e 1 o language. hecau ...c tn nature th. 1
mmeml contn utes l . h . - · cy on )' apprehended
rbed b) herb•' ore. tinds Jhelf in the li\lng bod). Thw.. we ave the untt) of the All. . And th 1, ,upport.... 1 acan·., the
· st., th at one ap-
so d"n"'"'' continuit\ of sensibility. the same pnnc1ple shared prehends t he 0 ne trorn the , 1gntfier and not lr<>m na. ture Th e c 1oser
anextrnor • ... _. • . d. . . h )OU get. the more }OU sec \\hat One j, mad.. 1· u 1 h
. h. · nature which obltge us to Jstmgup, t\.\0 .... o . vve ave every
b" the ph1 1osop 1es 01 .. . ., , . . . .
_, f .L... 1.1 • )ne inert and one acme. m \\hu.:h the mert rea,on to use h) lozo..,m a... a pomt of reference tn th
states o sensll'l I ) . l . . _, . e questton we
. acti\ e·. This leads us also to the sensational are ad \.an<.: mg. smce It •. ., clcarl) the tmphctt ba"s of Sade's theory
(stone ) rna) · h ld ·
· L..rations 1f Schell ina on the ages ot t c \.\or . 111 elaborated b) Lacan m the• sect ton of The· Frh 1·( . \ . 1· p \ .VC 1lO(lll(l 1V-
19th centUf) 1Ul Ut• . A . ·

' "•on. s ade re.er\

e . . .
· • ·s encompassed m the notions ot the Sl.\ on transgre ...... •on and JOIII.\.\WI«' m tran<gre •·
\\ h!Ch consCIOUsness 1· • . . . . . .
. · h t ·n this v ·orld. the death of the md•' 1dual 1s rc- to
. the system .ot Pope . P. 1us VI · the cnmmal P<lpe w hose postu 1ate
mammate, sot a • •
duced to nothmg more tha an illusion. ts
. that . nature ttselt des1res de ... tructlon · death · Sade d'tstmgUJs .· · hed
m regard t:'o that of the mdtvtduat. who is already
H't.A>lOISM JOUtSSmlce. havmg fm1shed w1th the other, and that of the matter
"d t· '"And life"} JLife a series of actions and reactiOns. 1tself. of the wh1ch re ... ults from the death of the individual.
Sa)s D1 ero. · · .
· · I d react in m:JL,s-mass of m) bod). the ammalcuJe, find Sade .., text on page' 210-211 of h1., Semmar VII. The
LJ\ mg. act an · . .
r: Dead 1act and react m molecules. Thus I don t d1c at cnmmal want., not onl) to he the other at the level of hfe.
that aorm me. • . . . .
all. No." ithout doubt. I 't die at thh netther ITI) self of the md1ndual body. but abo m the matter that .,ubststs after th
nor "hate\er I'm made up cof." h ts a '1ston of hte eternal 11 one fiN crime. Diderot ·s_ h)- lo/OI.,rn •.., the ha.... , ot the theory of two death.,e
't stop at the imaginary form of the body. but mther allo\\' the The tdea ot t\\ o death' .-. ltke the two "de' of D1derot's
doesn . th . • •
animalcule,, the fibers. the molecules to conunue etr 1Itt1e double life: '"Li\ mg. I act and react m mass Dead. 1 act and react 10
In this \\3\ life and abojouissana are ever)'\\ here 111 na- molecules.'" Dtderot\ ')'tern is the exact re\er...e of Sade\. Sade
Jouissance ·is coextensi\e \\ith omnipresent life. Citing g•ves u... the fiN and 'econd death; D1derot the tiN and second hfe.
ture. . .. .
o1derot: "There is nothing in nature wh1ch doe' not sutter or lee! 2. THE m· 1HI- 801n '" Pu <1 s
Jea,ure." There \\ c ha' e JouiHtmce under..,tood as all of nature
DESCARTES A:'\D Sl BSTr\1"\.1·-JOl 1\\ \.\( 1
as each of its states. Th(: "ord "hylozoism.. dates from around
J7(1J in Diderot's EncycloP,edia. Thi' erudite word derives from Lacan refers to Descartes to introduce life-jowHance or what he
hyle (matter) and :oe (life) nd refers to the doctnne of mat- call' 'ubstance-jow.\.\liiiC£'. Th1s •.., the oppo'>lle ot hyloLo•sm. be-
ter made God. And. as Lac m said. for the matenahsts of the 18th cau'>e there is no question of livmg matter. He 1s not gomg to look
century. their God was matt r. for it in Diderot \ jow.\.\llllce, wh1ch 1s everywhere, umversal, in
Amazingly enough the idea of the great living and un- every point in nature. We do not lack di flerent levels of material in
mortal All was also the do<.: rine of the stoics. the very ones who Diderot\ work; we have contmuous pnme of the infin1te possi-
invented the difference between the !\ignifier and the .,ignitied. Hm\ bilities of from the most mmuscule and msensible to
could they. on the one hand. use language to articulate and disar- the most vast. Descartes, however. re<.lucc'> matter to thought, and
ticulate. while on the other adhere simultaneously to this doc- this reduction exdude'> b) pnnc1ple the pmt \ \Wlce of body. since
trine of the great animate world and of life everywhere'? Here we bod) emerge.., from thought.
lm muon mk
12
... t "De In ps) chnnal) ...c dnn' 100-thc- '.tluc- the .mthor propo'e' 111c rc,pon c to tiMt 1,: .111
O til hiS tcX • ... uttcnng m the '' orld nllcl·ts thr po\)f more tlhtn the "'" h fhr
nd ...o Lacan c.I .. • dl.ltthC • hou)...1 1.: cd Ill tlhlught.• "·''
rt' ll' cc In rca lie rte !'he uHlslltUtl\ e nH..,un- pnor ll\C' Jc,, d1e" k" \\t>ll,thc) h.l\l' till' llll"t
e rappo d tood tn Dr'\.,\ '· (lll' JOO\, and tht') h,l\e the ,m,11IC''I cat' '1 hus, tl ntw tn'l'''· \\C'
found!) tlll'un ers l ,. d hl'd) ll' tiHlught 1s 1t1
pro " lu 'llllll ul rn.lth:' ,10 I cun P•l) thC'm .000 ruthl't th.m S ' I he .tud.u:lllu" .1uth01 aJ-
andtng of the n:t '" But lllll'' ... .tt t \at
d erst r. 1 JbJOlll"mJt e.
araung the bod) .ron dIll the to" hll. h \\C lllll' a lumt· he doesn't propo'e OU) mg th\.' org.1n' ol thC' II\ mg.
ep• • d 1 aho toun
the nusunderstan mg rc and more frequent!) bcc.nt'e th.ll \\Ould h ·an uftwnt to hum.m d1g111t\
...... nth ... ubm•t the bod) mo h t La an ,uote Ill I967 on Illl'' httlc tC:\t \\ h1ch happened to tall llllll Ill) hanJs 0)
cu..... • d f prophe ' m " a • f ac\.ldent '' of S\\lllmn m-;p1rntwn 'lou kno\\ S\qlt' \ Modt ,,
1 read n ktn o • f h mnunent exec cs o our
h the hocks o t e ' .. I Propo,al: "ho\\ toea e p.trcnts and the nat1on ol theu charges .1nd
thl ubjCCt "\\II t the bod'- IIllO Its 0\\0 p1eCC I
ed to mn...c .; d 1b t
urgen "e are d1' po t the One of the tnd r' 1 un • u use these '-h•IJrcn for the pubhc good,.. S\\ lit's text propl)'C'' th.ll
' · h bcJngofhlc 1 no b on" )CUr ,,Jd lhlldren contnhutc tn the- puhlt'-· good. to the and
Js not onh that t e ..... h l the bod) i ·' pcakmg cmg. ''
abo that Ihe "" lf\.1 n\1e of !111.:. '' c•t th"' ,)rolll'lllll l)l Oil1 "\\ t:• a r"'l: 111 p.lrt to the .tttlf\.' ol 1.: \l.'r111 thoth,md pel lplc I k pwpo'C'' that
. - 1111 ... IS IHl I; I I tht') bee.llcn S\\lll's\\otk .,.t,.llm.·ontiK'l)lltll mollhC\\l'.lllh)
tht' bod) tn pie\. c... f nnimnkulcs b.llll me 1\ ll u-
"' all olomc o • of hi' tame: 11 1s tnkmgl) s1m11.1r to 1he \mcnc.lll css.l) "hid1
all pol) pane'. 'o'e nrc t In <tuesuon b) the bod) m pie c
ated .. It I ' the nc pu scnou ... l) approaches su h • \.' IH n
0 S\\ In1A!'I. , .... PIR TI01'; I OR 1m Pll su .oon Nl> nu 1 DI\ muAt GOOn
" "' t t the le' el of {alltmme It ,.., the
ce - " e kno\\ 1 • Thu \\ e nnoun e the emcrgen e of the t [)d) m p1c c \\ c can
The bod) m pte ' d" to put an p renthcses the amagt
n cmned an or cr lk ) au n '011 to ''hut h.ts b en the cclebrnuon \)f the umt) ol the
ex pre ,,on L aca 1 I c Klean m \\ e m c t. mg
on" htch e am hod). mcc \\hat ts m ptogres-. 1 the ontrnr) , tts cutttng up. l'\1 -
nan phenomena l?cd through urg1cat opernuon
od P IC C' rca I dcntl) f,,rthegte1ter g\lod 1 \t'r) d.) \\Chl\cnc,,solthennlly
about the b ) ln d " of thr In 111g O\ ct a long pe
t 1lC l 1I111 .; m precc,. A llltH c .um.1nk lnrm of cuttmg up pcrm11trd h)
B•olog). ha\lng t elf e'en chl\ \\lth the (ilsmem-
od of ume. no" dl ttngu•!l1lC a - • gemu' \\'t• sp"ak \ I genetiC gemu' bet: au c \\ c .umot stop .11 the
n II 11t) of tha umt) . 1mnge ol the bcnuuful fonn of thr bod). smcc \\C kno\\ ho\\ W
bennent (morce rme 1 ,.....ordman css.l) m th• '' cck s
oda lcmncuponanc ,.. • opemte on the real of the bod) It sue an be engmccrcd Sktn
Ju t t ) ,. th t "e can trnn,plant the mo t amp r
00 hu been made. nd sold smcc 1a) of 199 1 a t )e.tr fnbncated
1im magazI ne '\ ou '- e ''hal hean tran,plant of Dr Barn. rd Th e
tnnt org. n . m e the poe d lOt ha' c enough of organ' to km \\a appro,cd for ale an1lagc and bone can he produced
0 1 '' ath the help ol cm1- ) nthcuc matenal l tg uncnt and tendons
problem toda) 1' that "c lf"' ,, mtmg organs an order to
t 6 ()(){) Amcncan-. • nrc .11 the read), hutth" grc.tt obJC t of stud) no\\ 1" the acatlllll ol
tran pan 1 -· It ,,e th an the OJg, ns?
un I\C 1 Who" 1 g 1i aru 1, h.'l'- an 10c t-\\l' must hu them t::omplctc mtern.tllll£.111 • nco·(Hgan'
The author of tlus tme to ell them
•
o .•1 sensataonn 1
The"t: ph llOillCil.l !Illpart ,t spe I 11 S 'llOlli\IIC'SS to \\hat \\ C
there mu t be omconc -..:1 can articulate. bout our rclatumsh1p to bod).\\ hach I" not tmn luqortl',
0 f course .r: to ell the organs of thc•r a.'L"U
authonze .•nm• 1e 1 ""' and our \\Ork "til he more and more condllmncd b) tht-; cmcrgc1KC
propo ,uon Onl'- the poore t pel pic ''' 11
There '" nn obJe uon .; df of the bod) an p1e e It 1 no ll ngcr a m.1ttcr of the n.• t) Marqut" de
•· d nnd the heart' of thcar dear or.
tempted to ell the r-t ne) s
Lacanian Biology and thc Event of Body
Jacama11 inl.. 15
14
_ lt j, C\ identl\ tor the tional change' m hiology, hut at the 'ame time some phenomena
poor Ju . . une. - • - . I
de "ho '' gmng h' up ' od. that j, to '.l) it i' JffC:''_'uh c: . ha\e per....t,rcd for a long time and thi, ,chemc: j, one of them.
Sabl c "ood and the wd•' •dual !!o of Lacanian hwh)g) Somethmg proceeding from Oe,cane, · ammal-machine i' ,till there.
pu • o I of '()me t: t: l"t'
The a . . . . cmh age a look at the algorithm' ot ' c . We will 'ee hm.. Freud oriented tu, hiology in e"cntial
.., I here Let u' take
... hould be u ...e.u background re . . carch. The l.lct' of tltsmemhennl'nt question the
THI: tACHI"E . . Ari,totelian . The tonner identity of the hod) in a much more probing'' a) than the hyh)loi't
h"re j, "hat'' anu- I' . lucubration' or the Ari . . totelian 'nul whkh 1' onl) , as Lacan say'
The Carte,1an element t:
1 e that
J'
'"'"'-
the unit) ot the "mg.
ecd' from a per.;pec.; h . , the unitY ot Jj, ing. the 'out on page II 0 of Enccne, the idl'ntit) of the body.
proc I' . '" c:mp a,Jzt:' - h Till SPEAKI!';(j BOl>'l 1-\tERl. l \ I R0\1 II\\
le the An,tote Jan' Jc - Lacan contra,..._ t c'e
" hl ... I h•' Sc:nunar . I
foml otlhe (.1\IU)· n . t ·dh Ari,totle', On the
as a b t"mnc n:pea t: • 10 - We ha' e learned 'omcthmg fundaml'ntal about the statu' of the
1" 0 perspecti'e' ) ret: de,elopments in hiolog) whtch bod). of th" bod) \\ hich gi' c' the imagitlar} model of One We
c mca,unng . h .• .
an d at the ...ame -11111 h -c 11 torm o t. '-)Uf ima!!inal)' ot the Ou) , a 1- identif) the bod) and the being of lite m 'ome 'pontaneou,, tmagt -
1 ... ·
·nnuence the ph• 1osop • h, fleets of the algorithms ol hk . nary way Lacan describe' thi' in \\hilc talking about the
I f d "' becausc nl I c e 1
read\ out o ate: . e j, hopek,,Jy dated . rat in the labynnth in the last l' hapll·r ol the Encore We
• · t"h m per'pe'- 1' ·
Th•' An ...w c • . h le branch of contempot ar) pht- idenllf) there the bod) and the heing (t'tn) . This tdentltita-
"gardle''· that a ,., o . . h' \ . "
consJdered . rc d w rctnll atm1.... ., to redesH!ntnc ... ... t '' J nstotc - tion j, in Ari,totle', initial anal)si, ol heing. Toda). on the con-
losoph) "a' de\ otc Gestalt,, the ps) chol - tmry, \\C U') to confuse the poo1 li1tk• rat, imrner. . ing it in the knowl-
. for current c.;On'
han per.;pecU\C . . d e\en beino-in-the-\\orld. nr the edge of the e'\paimcnter. a knm\ ledge "hich ha' nothing to do
Gold,teJnt m. an e
og) of fonn. . com.i,tenth attempted to return to "ith its life.
I of perceptiOn. -
Phenomeno og)f the . . oul and 't t s b l,....d,•• oe ....cane' in other "ord If'' c can identif) hcing and body lor the animal, we can-
0
the ham10n) d eparate .... ub,tance" and the) "ere not do the same tor the human A' tar a' the speaking
ha,ema el\\0' .
"a a brute to themseJ\ e!i se\\ ·n(l I e
it up to recn' er the untt) of life
• bod) i' concerned. it docs not emerge I rom heing hut from ha\ ing.
going to occup) · e 0 he 'a), nor nostalg•c. kno'' Lacan puts .1 'urpn,ing touch on the formula " man has a
0 either progre.-.'1\ · ' ·
Lacan. f, r 10 the Cartc,ian . . en,e. that 1 to 3) hod).'' '' hich i' inc arnated m Ia\\ under the fornlUia ol
\\ •ll goal\\ a) too a .
that one to di,mantle it like a mnchme . habeas corpus . He e:\pound' on " man ha-; .1 hod) " m one of his
10 operate on the bod)S" nar 11 he underline' the dccssi\e char- Ja,t te:\ts, "Jo)ce-the-') mptom ,'' 6 hut) ou tind it already m Semt -
Folio\\ mg h•h c:nuh'n" ...',the foundation of hiolog\ . Thi' nar II. page 73. He notes morcm er that one has alwa)' had a
r " ce to t e mac • c ...., . • .
nctero f re,ercn C"Cd' e . . sentiall) from dtstanctng body, but it is dearer today. her au'e ,., c have gone very far from
I thi cuttmg up pro t . . . ·
d1 mant mg. h of the 1i' ing orgamsm m 11s nu - the identification of man with his
hc man ellou ann on) . ... . . . ,
. . 1 t d D ,pemte an d d'.,1l 1cate· dt,mcmhcr and dlsartlc.;ulatc
\\hal .
Here we can make 'cn'e of the had:ground of Cartc\lan
heu Jn or er l l . J h "n' tes· .. r..tokcular h1olog) duaJi,rn . The duali-.m here is ol knowledgl' and of body The
· in 1\ Fran<;o•' Ul:O ·
Surpn g. h ag->... ... .trl' not que,tion of being for " man " is po'l'd on the Side ol !-.nov. ledge.
d 10 ne\\ mec antl • -
correspon s
. . h al cheme becau'c:,. "e ha' e nc" infonnauon or he- while the body i-. on the 'ide of ing. Tht' tdentilicatton of man
m th• mec amoperaung . .. , lar 1"' el There are 'cn,a-
on the mo 1c.:t u c ·
with his knowledge is \\hat made Lacan culminate with the con-
cau . . e \\ e are
Lacaman B1 ology and the I: vent of the Body 17
/acaniafl ink
16

.• Hi' po,auon . · o n the order or death dnve. ts not bwlogical death. 11 ts not the simple return of the
lfthc ,ubJcd. · It\ mg bod) to an m.m1mate state Death 1s the other stde of life A
fthe algonthnll . I· ·k-in-bemg. . biolog) \\ hich includes the death dm e is a btology of the other
cept o 'f t b fonttulated a' 1 . hat the ...ubJect. trom the
be1·ng e,en I I ,Imp) t .. . I. stde of hie. an other side'' hich is open to the speal..mg being through
· 0 ne c"n <& ..a,. ugam. molt the · ,,gnt. 'fier t •
cannot tdenttly the l
. "'hich it is subJCCtl · that affection for the language Thts other 'Ide ot life is llli.llerialitcd through the sepul-
moment'" · from t ere . . b cher. smce the human species is the only one in which the dead
. ...y and it is preCI"t: • nous narct..,..,lsliC bom a-.t,
w 1ts 'l i'JU • d The enon . . . bod) keep' 1ts 'alue Sadc him-.elt is the example of thts other
· .,. body procee '· d . om tht' lack o t subjective
image o f 11 procec 1r . .- . s1de of hfe "htch ts open to the -.peaking bod) . He dreamed of the
nstic of the speucs. ·k of corporeal 1denuttcatton
characte ·. h txldv. The 1 _ .. , death of molecules. He dreamed ol a criminal \\ ho could. beyond
identl·r.11.:<&.. 110n "'1th. t e · h) stena. . Lacan con-.tantl) '·
. nN""ially tn C\'ldence 10 · nolog) of Merleau-Ponl) who the indh idual.l-111 molecules. Pract1call), as \\e knm\, he demanded
IS est"-- .. • the phcnome
. licitly or exphclt 1) · • f man to hts world, who center... in h1' \\til that his proper name he cllaced on his tombstone
amp h natur.1lncs' o ld · What 1s '-PCCtfKally ol man must hl,t, not 111 the form of
·
mes to restore t e • • 'e who studt·e..,· pre-.ence
<.:l •
_ in the wor . m., molecule-.. but m the lonn of signiliers S.tde wanted to attam th1s
On th e corporeal a....xJ Thas prcsc"nee is· also e\ tdcnt in Hetdcgger'
by, and through 3 l " ) · • it is displaced in accordance with \ tgnat}tng margin on the other 'tdc of ltfe and dtsappear. Sade\
hilosop h Y t )t• the Dmellld. Th. presupposttton. · · as La· "ll 1 s,·ty s, demand. and even h1s lll.Junctmn. ht' death dn\c, has a beanng on
P · nwente · c · · the '-tgmfier and ha' nothmg to dn w 1th h10lngy.
what it has c1rcu . that there is :-.ome'' here a place ot umty,
1 V., f
"aor Merleau-Pnnty. . T 'saunn . of the" bcmg > and bodv. • and which has
S CON<. H'Tll.\1 S< 1111\11

which is the II. f h ... ubJ. ect. If one sees things in thi' But Freudtan biolog) is all the -.ame a biolng) . At least 11 sup-
th tfacement o t e ·· E
as result e e . . . c""ptible to the same cnttque. poned tts ... peculation with biology. and it did not make a bad cho1ce
. bcha' lonsm 1' su' c . .
perspecu,e. alish and the ge ...talt p:-.)chologt'-h spon ol '' llh V..e1-.mann and his theory of germ plasm. The great reference
if the phenomen .b. beha' 10 r 10 term:-. ol stunutu ...-r<:- is chapter\ I of Bt nmcl the Pletl\ttrt' Prill( iple.
· dea of de sen me .
th e 1 • . resh final I\ on an equn a- \\e mu't recognitc the relationship betwecn 'Weismann·,
. astde a 11 mtms " ' "'. ·
spon e. mg bod p ) choana\) , 1, makes tls space 111 the gcnn and the pre-.ent-day genome. Doubtless the germ and the
Jence of bemg . )· bets,.,e,n bein 2 and bod), in maintaining genome are inscribed in different discour-.e ... Weismann s ts pure
· ' d nttficauon '" ..
Jack of th1s a e . hip of havint, with the Olld). speculation and Freud is interested in the attempts to show
,iect 1
a re auons e
that t h e s UbJ Weismann·.., theol) .1s e\perimentation. Watson and Crick an: trul}
FREUD. BaoLom . in,cribed m a science. molecular genetics. The ...ciencc lead' to
3
· . b' 1 0'\' 1 quote: ..Biology ,, trul) a lnnd ot
10 t of hope m 10 Oe • praltice and emerges with genetic gt•niu-. . The same ..,cheme be-
Freud .put a . • •• " ' We expect 1t to give us the . (\\een Vve1smann's germ and Wal\on and Crick\ genome" of no
unlimated . . • d \\C cannot guess what anS\\ers II
· · informauon an . .. hindrance to us The same <.:om:eptu.tl sdlt'mc 1' at work between
most surpn:-.mg , . t the question" we ha\e put to 1t.
"ill retum in a few dtven )Car!' o the research that f-reud cho'e tn b10logy. our pre,ent biOlogy, and
LifE OPE.'\ TO 1 Hl SPEAK!:-;(, BOD'\ that of the future
THE OTHER SIDE lW • .
. h. he examined speech. posited that I found tht-. fact plca,antly cont'trmed 111 the begmning of
Lacan. in the context tn . Death '' hich is a mattt:r of the a reading ... of a sht-rhtl
e "J iconoda-.tic Andre Ptchot\
Freudian biolog) "as not IO og). .
Lacanian Bioi ogy ..md the Event
. of the Body
ltu an ian ink 19
18
dtvtdual. or. in other \\Oro'
" •em· \Vc:ismann had no idea that mura- What Is th.. . to 'urround thenhdvcs wtth a new soma "M
L'h1r101rede Ianotum ,_ '/n·c:
t "hu:h ·. • •.
transported hc.:n:dtt). the, duo-
• . . e notton 111 quc't 100 ·> Tl , .
dtfferentiated cell' tho . lcre arc two kinds of
ur mutan d '' t h c: sUl•s 11
• '-
ld '-·' part of the same conceptual scheme that re- · 'c spcctahl'lll" m r 'P . .1
d e\.
clopmg mto mdt\ ,.lu·•l b . I
u " OuJC' On th ,
e e Jouuctton. the other'
'
Jnosomes.
. h"ou k lf hiollw\ decades later. Atter . -.o_me pun:l) of reproductton per't't and , . . c onc hand. the germ cell'
matns tn I e "or l <='- • • . • • . • . • n . arc.: tr.tn,mJtted 111
'd .... qns lln stallslt'- al )a\\ s. Ef'' m Sc.: hrodm.:-cr• m tonomous lineaoe Jac•lb 11 II 'ome \\a) as an au-
phy ....ca) cons• t:... 11 lllhC VI) s · "Th
'-·xlk• of 1944 What is . anttctpated . . exact I¥ the .:-
cellular bemo, i' b) stmpl. .
'
' · c rcproductton of uni-
a smaII popu llr • l"' • • · . • -. . e · t: 11"Hln. and each 1 . .b · ..
• ll ·ular ..·netic-. Pte hot -.a)" that Schrodmger l!tve-. trth to a bod}. of cncompa . . " Lapa le ot gtvmg
concept o t llll t:'- e" · . . .. b "Ill£ .m mdt\ idu tl h d
. ·al ten , ear-. befllre the elaboratton ot the ... true-
the t h core I 11.. , • .
•.' m_ some \\J) an <!nd 10 Jh ·lt .. \ 1•
c · meagc 1s
' o >·a 'oma, \\hJCh
0 A Departinc from Weismann. ennched b) chromo- mdn tdual bod) 1..., oraft •. 1 perpetuated while the
tore o f · .. . . • eu Ill some way on tht' lmeage:
'"' Sl:hrddincer deduces'' hat" tl 1take tonn Ill 1953 in e
somaI the) l . _.. .. . .
the double helix. of Watson and Crick. u-. the per-.pec-
tl\ es of the next centuf) in which the relatton...,hlp ot the body and
.,s / ., s As
1)/ g/ g ...........
its dismembennent "ill be expanded. 1::' ---· ...
Freud is brought to the central axis ofbiolog) as if b) ui\i-
This ts JOtuitJOn alon'•e with W,t:t,mann , 'concept . I h
nation. E'en the nco-Oaf\\ inists of today refer to Wet-.mann. The reproductiOn entlrel) uepen·l··nt u... on nature ·mu th •ua . se eme, . with
talented popularizer. Richard Da'' kins. the author nf I ht· S<•lfi ,, germ And eventhtn'' th·•tlltp ' e r•operlleso_ I the
Gene. ,Hites at length: "The l.'entral idea that 1 ha\ e u...,e<.J ha' heen • 'J e .. ' pen-. to tle 1 IOU 1 1d I b
pomt of\ te\\ of here<.IJI\· 1, l.'()Jttpl c't c·I \ .. lllulI 1.fer" •ntua
t 1
ody m the
outlined b) Weismann:· What Freud deduced ., trul) the point ol
dt,appear-. '" 1th 1t. \\ htle "n •Hut '11' c,1n:ttonoper.ue
.: o meagc and
e ... onth·hdd
departure of the central route of biolog) toda). In chapter VI ol
d. tsposltton' of the .:-''ernt c.;· t:•II •. Hereull\ .1• ap h , t:: I en
Bewnd the Plemure Pri11ciple Freud explain-. the them) ot the trom aD) mctdent and ·tdds f· . J - pc .tr-. ere 'eparated
.' .• r.mt;ots .Koh. "lrom all dc,tre."
t\\ categone..' of drl\ es: the death dri' e -.eeking to restore the in-
0 The ro) al road ol hwlog) , , ,0 .
animate -.tate and the life dri' c. or -.ex dri' e. tending to\\ ard se ual -.chcme.
· ·
It.,
surrounded h\
• '
" I rom thts 'tmple
" P 1 o'oph) ·1 ph 1 h
conJunction and to "the coalescence of t\H) germ-cells \\ htch are ot biOphore (he think-. there ·tr' pI'rt'IL' IC" l.'UIT\ .tng . )if•
' 1 o ... op )
' t..: •
differentiated. tending to a... -.ure reproduction. to pwlnng the cell\
cells) but these are just tlouri,hcs "hich .tdd t;othin •
life and to lend it the appearance of immortalit) ... He finds
the scheme. In eflel.'t. in a \\ hok other conte\t whatglln, torLde to
analog) of Wei mann's to support hi.., elabl)ration ol the life dml' th'e'tru c.;·ture o t ON \come-. lrom . \\'L•ismann', ·germ. e m ' as
and death dri\e. "The grcate-.t intere...,t attaches lrnm om plHnt ol
Till- :\ \RC'ISSJSTI( ( R\H 1 LJ
1(
, ae\\ to the treatment gi' en to the -.ubject of the dUI.ttion nl life
and the death of organisms in the "riting' of Weismann. He "a" rt' U 'intere't' Freud here is the ana loll)
What e "tlt 1 . "h h·
" a' h'IITI .llllpOSC th•
he "ho introduced the division of li' ing sub-..t;.mcc into mortal .tnd e fl\'e on the germ the e on the '<>ma. He
immortal path. The mortal part is the bod) in the nanowcr sen,c- IS theor) ol the Ufl\ es here. or he note ... that psychoanaly-
the soma-\\ htch alone is subject to natural death. The gL·rm-cdh. "'' ts not mterestcd m the life 'uh,talll'l' hut tn the lorl.'es that oper
on the other hand. arc potentially immortal. in so far as the) .tre the hie substance. these are the He presents th;
able. under certain fa, orable conditions. to OC\ dop mw \I nc" m- heof) of the dm c.., a.., the dynamic that complete.., We!"'mann \
Lacanian Biolog} antlth c 1·vent of the Body
Jacaniall in/... 21
20
·d ·, detail in the triah ol c:xpcrimcntal
h £" He ,, uttcrc' l 11
. . . tling \\hen the genetic population i' tJi, , ,
morp 0 10 : · f h. th' · \\'hat Ji,turb' hul11' \CI") 'tnkmg. ou' mdl\ tduals creat"tnn a . pn,t:d throughout numcr-
1
tratHHl' (l t• 'that \Vci,'''· . "- I!CilCtiC \O)ic.J· ·
d emon' 111 ann ,ho'', unu;ellular organi'm' beha\lor of the bod) d ·d , ·
c.: t.: uung from it th
He then 'tudies the
, ·
What •d•'turb' 111111 1' d the ••cnn are not dtttercnt. • -. arc potcnua11)
•
gene. I f parents protect thc"r h' ll ...
' c 1 <. rcn it i' ·
e of the
in "h 1ch the ·...oma .u1-.upportcd concept toda) : the 1011110rlaht)
unmorta
. . ol
gene" And on from there to I , . d . d
m or er to protect the
· I. hIt ''a
-
''c.: \)f the mother ot all bactena \\hat disturbs
4 • • •

mo\'ese\'Cf\thinotov•lf'·perp•tmc.: .m soctallife. The gene that

1
1 l'a'"the · • e .... t.: uatc ·mc.J · , h ·
the tmlla s that death only .1nten ene' m the plunce11ular.
. \\here In the ,a me \em '-' l h· • . •eve tt\ goals'' e\ery-
reu ' . . . H ''l'h • Jl u ,l\'C alter the 70 h
f
that ds l<l sa) that death j, a late acqm,,uon. .e 'a)> ere can In a short circuit - h . · . s 'octo tology
1 • 1 11 •s mtroduct10n t 0 h
be no question llt there h.l\ ing been death drl\ e-. from the \'Ct) c.ome the Department of Ps ' h oan.tl} . . sts . Lacan w , at wouI ld be-
begtnnlll£ of life on this t Je' the tmaoiOar'- and th, , . I . .. . . y qualt-
. •
We u,t f"'llO'' in till'· chapter Freud 'reall) hatr pulling
e J t.: rc.l a' sp·tu! ot l't 1 .. I
111 "M} 1maginaf} and Ill) real th h • c ( teu de Ia \'te)
·· · roug \\ htch .tre dtslm ·h ·'
re.tsPning to try to ...how that the could ':cry well ,us- spaces of ltte that \<.:tence to th ts tl .uc \ln<.:tly 'eparates · gUJs
.. H eu two
tain the death driH:' from the begtnmng \\lthout bemg percchcd one say that the 1mag 10 ary atlll tl1c rca 1 arc sp·lc,. • f t'f ow '> can
as doing so. It i-. a truly refined demon,u·ation. but it sho\\ s that concept rest\ on the distiO<.:llon g,crm1'oma The' •m· cs o .• e The
\\hat C'llunts for him is the doctrine ot lite Itself. The que,tion of to the mdtv1dual body• \\ htlc th,t.: germ , .md ·e'>pectlll\t ag10ary 1s ttetl
th
"hich inhabib tht' matter the dc.Hh dri\ e has to be ts the space of ltfe, the real of life. • J c genome.
linked fnr him to life a' -.uch. Thu' the nnponance of remember-
Perhap' C\Cn mon: startlmg as a 'h lrt ,· , . . .
ing. "ith Lacan. "e are intere,ted m joui.\.\allce a ... hnked to life anaJoo'-' found on ff ( •s Lacan ..,
e.J e'" 90 0 neon·· "Th ' f ·
but under the fom1 of the bod). ter is what makes it analogou' to a ..c I gtve the let-
Freud', "hole effort wanh to that the'e drh cs are
'c?eme. making the letter
alread) pre,ent independent of the con,titution, not onl) ofu bod).
netsmann s eoenn La··an
" b nngs
. to molecular h 101 1\
but e'en of a multicellcd organi,m. He manage' final!), maneu- passed tht'> tenn "oe .. · , h P } ' ogy. It has \Ur·
e rm SIOI.:C e speak' of th,
' ering. to 'alidate hi' analog) '' ith \\'ei-.mann. He tn\ cot' the the bodtes tor which it is the \chicle for life eatsehparate from
together.
egoi t gene. He in,ents neo-Oaf\\inism. The iJea of the poten·
s s
tiall) immortal gene\\ hich u,es indi' idual bodies to self-perpetu-
ate-the chicken appear' a' the means the egg ha' tound to pro-
duce another egg. according to the philosopher Butler quoted b)
g
/<(
g/
/ <(
g/ __s
<(
____,....

Jacob-is such a Freudian framework that he e\'cn speaks of the Thts . . . , lettct
. analog} of the letter .mc.J the germ is evtdentlv made t
narci"ism of the germ: the gem1 cells act in an absolutd) naH:i,. the notion of d J o gtve U'->
a repro uctton of the letter. but whtch '->llPP . th
sistic \\ ay in the sense of p .... ychoanaly,is. The notion of the nar- extenont} of kno\\ leJgc ( \lll'otr) m relatwn ... h•p to betng o_ses I e
cis-.istic germ is the prefiguration of contemporar} nco-Dar\\ in· to h' b d • m rea-
' ns tp_to o }· It ts a tran..,mts\lon of the letter. but 10 a po t
i m found in Da'' kins' beshelling The SeUi.\h Cell<'. 0of hextenont} Th U\ Lacan . says.
. .. Knowledge (.\CII'Oir) ts 10
s1 mn
the
\Vhat is the idea of the selfish gene'? Oa\\ kin' ha" the er. It ts a k.n_owledgc whtch ts supported by the stgntfier and
gene speak. The gene trie' to 'un i' e anJ to reproduce. 'o it pro- ch owes nothmg to the k.nowmg (cmmai.\ .\Clf/( e) of life ( Vt\'Cmt) ..
grams bodie to that enJ So far. so good. But. it become' 'tar-
Lacanian Biology and the Event of the Body 23
Jacaffiaff ;,/.:
22
affect of joui.uw1c <' start-. m the body We have then. 1f we adm1t
£ this perspective. the condtt1on ot the bod)'
s CONPITJtlN OF
II . LtFE A Gl I . h I can at once ment1on a \Ccond cond1tton that adds to the
translated by JoR<•E . ction to joui.\.\tWCt' tn as muc cond1t1on of bod) so that -.omethmg hJ...c the suftictcnt cond1t1on
My soIe .tn c: tor ' e• ·IS 1ts conne ·- d .
h t desene' to be quahhc . as n: .. .
'al 1
be attamed. It "the stgnificr condition. if we settle for Lacan's
. cou ld be that hie .1s. "n ado not o b. 't the formulation
as Jt . .
that hte. formula that the s1gmfler" cause of;oul\ \atlu· Thus the perspec-
.
beheve a L can's proposJllO
. ' . ·r .
. , It h e 1s c 'ondition of JOI"''cmt e. It U\e-hfe as cond1tion of JOIII\\Wic c. the condtt1on of body. the
.ts t he c< .. tcle ntone. l'\ebeencaretulto
not a -.u ft·-,· .. cond1tton of stgnitier-1 will explore m th1' Lacaman biology.
. ece"ary condttton. as force. and the body . L1te At the end of 11 there " a chmc that re-..olve' on a defini-
ts a n ., ·h to not say · . . . . .
d .tsll·ngUJsh hte
•
as ... uc .
. What obhges yo
. u to atte"t there l'-n t;ow.\.\WI< e
. . tion J belteve has been neglected trom the symptom. thus funda-
overflows the hod)· h foml of a h\ tng body . mental. that must be addre .....ed It " the one of the symptom as
. pears under t e
unless lue ap . R event of the body. wh1ch appear-. at least once m Lacan . If it has
c DJTION AI"D SK.NIHE
been neglected. 1t\ for 'ure that 1t look... part1al. The symptom as
1. BotH oN . . What that the living body say" to
. the pronostuon. d event of the body seem' to neglect ev1dence. as in the case of the
Let's examtne t " ·. . ly the imaginary body. un er the
he ·ase ts not on obsessional '>ymptom excelling as -.ymptom of the mind, even
us'' It says that t c · . t the body image. the one we knO\\,
·· . . The case 1s no . . . though the obsessional symptom of the mmd " always accompa-
form of tts torm. . . . . operative m the mtrror ...tage -the
.-.f to smce tt ts . nied by corporal symptom-. And then . the def1mtton of the symp-
10 which we rc er bles the organism. It 1, neither the 'Y mbohc
tom as event of the body stands lor an tmpasse on every other
specular body that dou · . t t recurrence prompts the heraldry
hose pePa" en ')mptom that. in the d1ffercnt chmcal structure<;. affect par excel-
body. the one " . Coat of arms are codes. Body part-.
• Lacan s pen. lence the mmd. the uttered. language It "thus a logical definitiOn
metaphor un d cr · d be ... ide "ith other natural clements.
. be represente . . .- h of the S) mptom. of wh1ch we are not prone to escape much as we
can certatn 1) . .fi The\ are imaginary ... tgmher:-. \\ o'e
for sti!nt · I' . h d " apprehend the') mptom a'JOIII\\cmc <. e\en v. hen we apprehend 1t
Yet they• ace t . from the .tmage. When we sa\'· ''the t\'tn£! o y.
. - s,
in the Freud tan term' of lnlulntum. mprom and An-r1en. as dnve
matter ts ta"en . b l'zed bodv and the body tmage. The
·d both the s)m o 1 · saW>factton. If the s)mptom i'dn\e -.atl-.factton. iftt tsjouissmue
weleaveast e · . 'therimaoinan. nor ... \tnbohc.but
b ·011 ;"mKe '"net ::- ·; - a" conditioned b) hie under the tonn of the body. that tmplies that
body affected N) 1h ·ng· pre\ ent:-. locatt. noe ;'ouiHmtee ··
as an affect of the ll\ing body pre\alb tn every s}mptom.
1
a li' ing one· ot . • to oi\ e thi.., adjective that cannot be Thts 1s the honzon of \'what I call Lacanian b10logy: the
. d the quesuon )S e . . '
the body. an 1. ,e for us.., 0 le .. s preci ...e than the 1mag1nary or recapture of the -;ymptomatology from the body events. However.
elided, its sense, a t . . ho Lacan 's teaching and after
. d .• These ec . h" thi' will demand '\Orne redcf1mt10ns. certatn prectsions that seem-
I
the symbo JC a · . and e\ en under the work' ot ,,_
1 mgly prevent the deftmtton to be cons1dcred a' operat1ve.
all be founded under eptstemo og) port his di..,tinl:lion between the
. that he used to sup . . 2. FROM DRIVES' DUAl ISM TO DRIVl .... MONISM
tory of sc1ence · . _ ·h the hving enter' our d1'cour'e
h vmbolu.: \\ ereas
imaginary an d t e sJ
THE SPLIT OF DEATH
. . d .· h that incomparable prect,lon
· th .. 1·ast endowe \\ 11 To well measure what I have spoken apropos hfe and its material-
without bemg c c . . h. adj' ect't ve of the liVIng Its 'ense
· · tog1vet ts
The questiOn'" . . through \\ htch mcidence. the IStic myths. r II say somethmg about death. In relation to death. it
etecting in whtch \\ay.
and aI so o f d
Lacantan Biology and the Event of the Body 25
/acanian ink
24
REP! TITION, A FACTOR OF M ·\I \OJl <:; 1 MFNT
, . . g that Freudian bioi-
,. Lacan , ·. · ,
. he ri ht moment to st:ttlc up Let'' clean up Lac an s dtsttnc- Let's look mto chapter V of Beyond the Pleasure Principle where
ts t hasgnothing to do wtth biolog) in stnct sense. It led Freud develops what he wtll term m 1925 ,\0 extreme Ime of thought.
ogy
. · Freu tan d·· btology - anth - tem of· Pope p ·tus VI w h'tc·h one susceptible of amendment and rectification.
uon • d th'- trom e sys . . .
idenut\ t\\O ea · _ d ath n thts cogttatton. 1s the What is thi-. extreme line') It conststs. firstly, in attnbuting
Lacan to ·. . The ftrst e · 1 . .
•ars in Sade s Juhette ._ . . d 1 body and transfom1 tl mto a the clinical compulsion to repetition to the living body. to the liv-
appc · . . t'f the 1ndtvt ua . .
stnke hfe o th - strike the molecules ot the ing organism as such, or even to the living substance; secondly.
one to · d . the one at '\\l11 ·
corpse. The secon ts You should reread this spht of death. The em tsaging this repetition as a tendency towards the re-establish-
reduced to . It lt find s support on the Sadean ment of a previous state; th1rdly, in tdenttfying thts state anterior to
. . . )t the Sadean sp ' . .
Lacanian spht ts nt . The two ex tstence supposes death as (wtth ) no-life. that i biological death m as much as the
split. but is not b) .'t.t-two forms of life: the first one takes non-living was there before the hvmg. The demonstration attempted
· . ftwo hves 01 o
the existence o of the bod) and the second one under form by Freud in chapters V and VI isolates a movement towards death
lace under the fom 1 • Jar life. The Sadean speculat10n re-
P that \\·auld affect the li'\ mg a such. For htm the indiv1dual body
. . rporal . a mo 1ecu . ,
mfra. mfra-co . .. . .tal'lsJn encouragmg what we may call obeys (follows) the same logic (rationale) that governs life as such.
· tenahstlC '\' · · .
ties on this rna . ld be the to stnke not only to the Bes1des. it Is what leads htm to look for the manifestations of these
. -- ·htch wou
..the cnme - "' ·f dnves since the ongin of life. What comes up m Freud as the
. . I to the molecular h e. . . .
first hfe but a r ·eh es from the crimmal pass10n am- initial state. the natural state. is the inanimate state, as far as it is a
If \\ e dtstance ou s .
· d speculation. the scheme of the spltt IS state \\ithout tensiOn. and hfe appear::; a ... an exterior dt'>turbance
. th above menttone - .
e. . . a death beyond death. a life beyond hfe. Never- ansing in the inanimate. Freud says it explicitly in this extreme
outhned thts ·.d t and in Sade. the double hfe and. the double speculation: "The properties of hfe were roused m the manimate
. . both 10 01 ero
th e Iess. h b . logical register. A dreamed biOlogy The matter by the action of a force." He asserts himself that thts force is
long to t e to ..
deat h be . d d affects the actual d1ffercnce (that ex- truly unthinkable for us. He is still arguing with the vitalism that
. thus mtro uce ·
d1chotomy d th death . The split Lac an cam asses m h1s haunts the btology of his ttme. Lacan. coherent with hts point of
. ) between hte an e . depruture. at once denies biological relevancy to death. conceived as
tsts . . . ba•'ed on the fact that hfe as such over-
. f p ychoana1ysts JS ... the return of the animate to the inanimate. He develops it in Seminar ll.
Ethtcs 0 s h .· d. ·dual bod) and that the bod) 1s but a
h rf of t e 10 1\1 What forces Freud to thmk about death as fate of the liv-
flows t e 1 e . h ble form of life. Sade's Wu11sch. wh1ch
· , fonn. a pens a .. ing seized by a repetition which entai ls a bias towards death? What
transttof) d ath drive. aims at hte as such beyond the
11 forces h1m to introduce this conception? What forces Freud to
ultimately Lacan ca aks· ef Sade who is the earner of such a name'>
bodY· When we ·spe o ·
s that take-. for ttself the death dnve. think of that, says L acan. it is not the death of living beings but
. h b'ect that assume - human life By this expression he deems human exchange.
It ts t e s u . . d extendmg 1t up to the element<; of
. ·- · 1 as a cnme. an intersubjecttvity, the fact of language. On the one side Lacan ad-
subjetcutymg 1 . · . h . d ·ts disappearance. its anmh1lat10n.
bod , of whic tt est ... 1 mtt'i repetition as a clinical phenomenon. yet, on the other, he be-
the rotten . . . ·n Freud" If Lacan looked m Sade
d . methmo s1m11ar 1
Do we fi so tit .
·
he did so because there is no track of thts
stows a complete different meanmg to the connection between rep-
etition and death.
for the btologtcal sp . t distinguish between hfe and the bod).
.
sp1tt m
. Freud freud does no
·
Lacanian BJOiogy anu.• the Event of the Body
/ocanian ink 27
26

TH E Sl,PEREGO' s DRIVE
Where in hi' extreme speculation. pcrcci\C' rep-
.· an tln'ginalh , ital phenomenon. Lacan doesn't. The Thts is. what lead' Freud to mtroducc hi •
euuon as - . . . ego-till then related to"' hat 'uttcd ..,elf ; ,concept of the super-
t.acanian repetition is not coming from the beha\ tor of the hvmg
bemg- an the exact heu of th p cservatton m the hvmg
organism. It is not a 'itaI but an antH·Ital one. e ego Thu' h, .
as according to Freudian speculauon m the human ... pectes repelt- the ego to the dnves of the 11 c equares the dnves of
' mg bemg sufftct
tion opposes adaptation. Repetition and adaptauon are l\\ 0 unpor- l n c h apter V of Bewmd
.
rh PI
e ea\ure Prtll< I
ng tts subststence
.
tanl registers at times pursued" ith difficulty. yet persistently. along em barrassment \\Jth the term o t' t he ego dr 'P. eh you "ee Freud's
ticult argumentatiOn the dnve' ot th Jves. t roughout his dif-
this paper of Lacan. . c ego become th d
All animal ps)Cholog) celebrates the adaptation of the He starts puttmg the dnve' of th, e nve of death.
animal organism to its milieu . Yon Uexktill enliven reference 1.., ertheless, about 1925. m lllhihttt egoS t.n bracket\. He states. nev-
. · c 11.\, 'I-mp tom,. a 1A ·
pennanent with Lacan: he shows for instance the way the fly owns ts JUSt a provisory appe ll ation stm 1 . nc nnery, that it
a world to itself by apprehending from the environment significant termmology. The drive of death . p .Y ,rooted m the first Freudian
· as It ooms m Fre d' .
spaces to which it appears gloriously adapted. Adaptation culminates d n ve o f the superego. Self- pre servat1on
, m· 1tself
. u s text. JS the
t e ego and a reissue of the Ari . t . '
there in hannony. Therefore adaptation. fitting. or. a' Lacan argues 10 h s 1o c 1Jan soul · .ts d'a prerogative
1 d of
..L'etourdit." trait by trait rapport between the Umwelt and the emerges . instead is a dri ve that restores ·the ·hvingtsso to dve .h What
[lmenwelr. between the exterior world and the animal·, interior world. oppos1te of self-preservauon L .
. ·r . · acan reads 1t hke .
d t
eat -the
f
Thus. a perfect inside/out between the organi-.m and it-. mtheu. s1gm ymg ..,ystem. whtch ts the F d · e ours o the
· · · reu tan name for th
It is in relation to this important experimental concept. aris- There 1s m Freud, supported and 1 d e superego.
ing from observation. that repetition. by contra-.t. take' on its di- There is death drive whtch I tra ue as such. a dualism of drives.
mension . It's in relation to thi-. wonderful. harmonic adaptation. there IS the sexual drns atedas dnve of the superego. and
. • I' Jves a verse t0 th d .
that Freudian repetition re-read by Lacan takes on relief. to the to death-hence they are not d . . . · . e nves that lead
reproduction. Freud bases thts rdl\esl ot selt-preservation. but of
extent that you don ' t have to be a witch doctor to show that repeti- · · ua 1sm on Wetsma · b 1
tion is. for the human kind. a factor of failure to adapt: that repeti- on the difference between \Oma and th e germ-cell . nn s JO ogy.
tion such as it originates in the clinic. appear-. fundamentall) as A REl.iNIRED DRIVE
determining a maladjusted in relation to life reqmrements.
Here we can question the place ot hb d b
to the well-being of the body. and the sexual drives. Thts place seem: o the death
What Freud calls need of repetition. far from being a need on one side. libido is present m so smce,
like any other one appears on the contrary as an disharmonic con- that h se -preservatiOn drives
reter to t e ego as reservOir of hbJdo et . .
straint concerning the living being as such . In this respect Lacan equally present in the sexual dnves that t7o IS
admits the fact of repetition. He demonstrates that with regard to Freud remarks that the opposition between dnves fth IS e ect
adaptation. repetition belongs to a register which is not at all bio- to be inadequate, and he intends sexual
logical. yet can only be thought in the register of language. Th1s 1s
mence. consists m locating the hbido mside the
already outlining. in Beyond the Pleasure Principle. the place of replacmg thiS opposHJOn by that of hfe drives and the death
the superego as principle of anti-vital repetition .
Lacanian Biology and the Event of the Body 29
lacanian ink
28

. . sfonnation that Lacan per- inadequate repetition. Stra1ghtaway he posits failure as the foun-
You notice the stnk.ingdltr:ounded on biology. When datiOn of repetition. The satisfaction attamed by repetition is not
on this theory o ak.· ncr into) account.
e f F d'
in sptte o reu ' equivalent to the mandatory There'" always a deficit.
·ay drive we are not t . 1 e f th dn.' es: Lacan .., per,pecttve Here Freud percei\es the ongm of what shove., ahead the human
we s . h duahsm o e
repeated warmngs. t e dr. , . Lacan take-. great pam' to being. of what precludes satisfactiOn m an) situation,
d of the ,,es. .
the ua · ·h t Freud accepted under the tonn forcing him to move ahead m h1s path towards death. before the
extract the dnve · s
·uch from. '' ands it,.,. ith all the precautiOn.;; '-O
• . Bestdes he surrou . aim of a complete satisfactiOn could be attamed.
ofthts dua11sm. . · . . ·dance so pretext that by domg '>0 you The essential Freudian d1chotomy 1s re-absorbed some-
· f as 1ble 1ts a\01
as to 10 e .i nto Jungism. pansexuality, etc. how by Lacan who e\ inces that death and the libido have close
would tall do\\n . t the drives in Lacan \\ithout underlm- hnks. This is the real sense of h1s myth of the lamella: the libido is
often 1 ·spoke a. ouf' t that he annuls the Freudtan .
duah,m
.
a deadly being. This formula distorts. gets over the boundaries
·d t and maJOr ac
ing the ev1 en .. t h .. way discreetly, in The Four Fulllla- Freud established for the dualism he drags with him ever since the
. , . He says 1 1s · .
of the d n\es. . :.The distinction between the life dnve and the difference between drives of the ego and sexual drives, and life
5
mental c_onc.ept. · . s much as it manifests two aspects of the drives and death drive. This monism of the drive is certainly a
10
death dnve IS true a.l drl·ves bring out death as signifier."lll He moment of consequence in Lacan 's leaching. His point of depar-
. B tall the sexua
dnve. u . ·h ontemporary ecrit to the abo\e mentioned ture is eminently binary: language and libido, symbolic and imagi-
. . ven clearer 10 t e c . h ..
as e . . d - ·nconscient" where he argues t at eve!) nary. The very movement of his teaching rolls towards the pro-
· '"PO\IUOn e 1 1 '
· d .. of death."" This means but the annulment duction of monist categories. Somehow we witness entire sec-
d · ·e 1s v1rtua11 Y nve . ·
fl\ · . d 1· ·m He represents 1t to us under the form of tions of his teachings collapse when these monist categories arise.
0 f th Freudian ua IS . .
e lla which is a myth1cal repre,entatton of the the first of which is that of a reunified drive
h"s myth of the 1arne ·
•· He d ra\\s . h.ts 1·nsp · 1·ration from the reference Freud
l 1·b"d1
o. . so to fashion his rn} th from that of
from Plato s 8 allque 1 . .
resents for us the hbtdo as an organ. as an ob- l. Jacob. Fran9ois. The Logu oj Lt{l', NJ Pnnccnton Uni\. Press. 1993.
Aristophanes. H e rep · fi 2. Lacan, Jacques. The Semmar. Book II The Ego 111 Freud\ Theorv
· b. dowed with a deadl} sense. He de the and in the Technique of Psydwanaly.m. 195-1-1955. NY: Norton. 198S.
·ect. but an o en . .
Jrb'd under t h e f'orm of the m'-'th as a bemo earner of death. 3. Lacan. J .. The Seminm; Book XX On Femmine Sexualir.·. The Limits
1 1 0 J ' e of Lol·e and Knowledge. Encore. 1972-1973. NY: Norton. 1998.
Lacan s comp , lex exertion touches on both death and li- 4. Lacan. J .. The Seminar. Book VII. Tlu• Etlucs of P.\ychoanaf.vsis. 1959-
. . . . h wino that death is by no means the preroga- 1960. NY: Norton, 1992.
bido It conststs m s o e . . 5. Lacan .. J., "De Ia psychanalyse dans rapports avec Ia reaJite," in
· h d . that it is present m the sexual dnves and. Scilicet, Paris. 1969.
tive of the deat nve.
. h .b.do is present in the death dnve. Th1s double 6. Lacan, J .. "Joyce, le symptome," in L'Ane, Parb, 1982.
. mmetncally. t e 1I 1 · .· 7. Freud, Sigmund, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, S.E. XVIII. Lon-
sy . d along Lacan 's teaching. finally results tn don: The Hogarth Press, 1986.
d emons·trat 1on , .scattere f h dualism of the drives as well as allowmg us 8. ibid
9. ibid
the Freud himself indicates that the libido IS 10. Lacan, J., The Seminar. Book XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts
today t.o say d ·ve when he defines. in chapter V. repetitiOn of Psychoanalvsis, 1964. NY: Norton,
II. Lacan. J., ''Position de l'inconscient." in Ecrits, Paris: Seuil. 1966.
found death . n satisfaction. a somehow v.-ashed out and
as repeuuon of a pnmary