This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Kirshner, L. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kirshner, L. A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Rethinking Desire: The Objet Petit A in Lacanian Theory

306 Harvard Street Cambridge, MA 02139, lewis_kirshner{at}hms.harvard.edu

The concept of the objet petit a is central to Lacan's theory of desire, which arguably represents his major contribution to psychoanalysis. It is an expression of the lack inherent in human beings, whose incompleteness and early helplessness produce a quest for fulfillment beyond the satisfaction of biological needs. The objet petit a is a fantasy that functions as the cause of desire; as such, it determines whether desire will be expressed within the limits of the pleasure principle or "beyond," in pursuit of an unlimited jouissance, an impossible and even deadly enjoyment. Parallels between the objet petit a and Winnicott's transitional object are explored and its functions illustrated through analysis of Pedro Almodovar's film Talk to Her. A clinical case is presented in which the question of desire seemed crucial.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, Vol. 53, No. 1, 83-102 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/00030651050530010901


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?