Bücher von Jean Laplanche

Publication of these lectures from the 1989-90 seminar on après-coup completes the English translation of the three major works from a period of Laplanche's greatest synthetic creativity, the other two being New Foundations for Psychoanalysis (1987) and The Temptation of Biology: Freud's theories of sexuality (1991-92). This volume also includes two related essays from the same period translated by Luke Thurston: "Time and the Other" and "Temporality and Translation."In "Time and the Other," first presented the month after the end of the seminar, Laplanche wrote, "après-coup is an expression taken from everyday speech and converted into a noun (Nachträglichkeit) at a specific moment in the letters to Fliess, and which Freud himself then privileges as a technical term. Everything confirms this."The lectures on après-coup are important not only because they solidify the (re)discovery of a concept fundamental to psychoanalytic metapsychology, but also because they point to what is unfinished in Laplanche's theorizing of what he called Freud's 'Unfinished Copernican Revolution.' At the center of that unfinished work is the question of the nature of the urge to translate, to understand, to make meaning. The urge to translate is at the origin of the drives. The relation of translation and après-coup is captured in this excerpt from the last lecture:"Why then invoke a theory, a translational model of après-coup and, more generally, a translational model of the theory of seduction and even a translational model of the constitution of the human being? It is because there is no mental process that captures the double movement better than translation, the indivisible double movement of the "being carried forward" and of "referring back." The "being carried forward" is nothing other than what I designate as a "fundamental to-be-translated": a demand to translate the message of the other."- Jean Laplanche

The Temptation of Biology is one of Laplanche's central achievements in the latter half of his career: a major monograph on sexuality. Originally published in 1987 as Le fourvoiement biologisant de la sexualité chez Freud, republished in 1999 as La sexualité humaine and as Problématiques VII in2006, in this volume it is followed by Laplanche's 1997 talk at the University of Buenos Aires when he was awarded the title Doctor Honoris Causa, a paper which addresses a key aspect of the monograph: "Biologism and Biology."Laplanche's work is widely recognized as offering what may be the most important - certainly the most coherent - development and correction ofFreud's theories of sexuality. Building upon the 1984 volume New Foundations for Psychoanalysis, which Laplanche called the "hinge" of his theorizing, this book examines the origins of infantile sexuality. Laplanche works to demystify and demythologize the cult of biology within the work of Freud and his successors, to develop a theory of sexuality that both challenges and restores Freud's own foundational insights. In this remarkable translation, the text remains just as clear and illuminating as the original French. It is stimulating, rigorous, and (perhaps atypical for a work of theory) a pleasure to read.

The appearance of New Foundations for Psychoanalysis in 1987 marked the beginning of five years that may be the period of Laplanche's greatest synthetic creativity during which he articulated the central concepts of his thinking. Along with New Foundations this period saw the seminar on après-coup of 1989-1990-later published as Problématiques VI; the seminar of 1991-1992 published as Probléma­tiques VII: Le fourvoiement biologisant de la sexualité chez Freud and, in an English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith, as The Temptation of Biology: Freud's Theories of Sexuality and much else.New Foundations is a synthesis of Laplanche's conceptual research going back to Life and Death in Psychoanalysis of 1970 and, before that, to works co-authored with J.-B. Pontalis and with Serge Leclaire. Referring to Problématiques I through Problématiques V (1970 - 1984), Laplanche writes, "Now the moment has come to show how my positions are connected with each other." He certainly does just that and, most importantly, New Foundations was the first major presenta­tion of the General Theory of Seduction (GTS) that guided his work for the rest of his life even as he continued to refine it.Later, from a different angle Laplanche refers to the GTS as the Funda­mental Anthropological Situation. The GTS will provide the basis for unearthing and extending Freud's translational model of repression leading Laplanche to propose "a translational model of après-coup and, more generally, a translational model of the theory of seduction and even a translational model of the constitution of the human being." He will speak of translational theories of psychic trauma, of infantile sexu­ality, and ultimately, of translation as a mechanism at the origin of the human subject as a self-narrating, self-theorizing creature."Starting from radical, violent challenges to established themes inevitably leads to a new theme with new patterns, new concepts or a new framework for the concepts that emerge. My positions on drive, narcissism, language, and many other topics are precise, but in the Problématiques they appear in a scattered form. Now the moment has come to show how my positions are connected. Will this entail schematization and oversimplification? To some degree that is inevitable, and from the beginning of this presentation I unhappily feel that weight, which is to say the necessity to cover the theme of foundations and the desire to get to my conclusions. So, in this text, I am in a race against the clock and my approach will be less that of the flaneur and less in the form of a "spiral development" of ideas, than was my approach in the Problématiques."-Jean Laplanche

Freud and the Sexual is the translation of Laplanche's Sexual: La sexualité élargie au sens freudien, his work from 2000 to 2006, and a groundbreaking book by the French psychoanalyst Jean Laplanche that challenges traditional interpretations of Sigmund Freud's theories on sexuality. In this book, Laplanche argues that Freud's work has been misunderstood and misinterpreted, and that his ideas on sexuality are much more complex and nuanced than is commonly thought.Laplanche draws on his extensive knowledge of Freud's writings and the history of psychoanalysis to explore the origins and evolution of Freud's theories on sexuality. He examines the ways in which Freud's ideas were shaped by his personal experiences, his cultural and historical context, and the influence of his patients.Laplanche also presents a compelling critique of the "Oedipus complex," which has long been considered a central tenet of Freudian theory. He argues that this concept has been overemphasized and oversimplified, and that it has limited our understanding of the complexities of human sexuality.Through his rigorous analysis and insightful commentary, Laplanche offers a fresh perspective on Freud's ideas, challenging readers to rethink their assumptions about human sexuality and the role of psychoanalysis in understanding it.Freud and the Sexual is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of psychoanalysis, the evolution of Freud's ideas, or the complexities of human sexuality. It is a masterful work of scholarship and a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the nature of the human psyche.

Die Person Friedrich Hölderlins hat in ihrem Widerspruch immer wieder als Herausforderung gewirkt, auf Zeitgenossen ebenso wie auf die Nachwelt. Die Literaturwissenschaft mit ihrer präzisen Quellenforschung hat dabei ein immer genaueres Bild des Dichters entwickelt, während die psychiatrische und psychoanalytische Deutung Hölderlins sich lange Zeit ideologisch selbst im Wege stand. Jean Laplanche, dem Denken des Strukturalismus verbunden, sucht in seiner 1961 erschienenen Studie das Problem des wahnkranken Dichters zu erfassen, indem er Hölderlins Entwicklung in den entscheidenden Jahren 1794 bis 1800 analysiert.

The appearance of New Foundations for Psychoanalysis in 1987 marked the beginning of five years that may be the period of Laplanche's greatest synthetic creativity during which he articulated the central concepts of his thinking. Along with New Foundations this period saw the seminar on après-coup of 1989-1990-later published as Problématiques VI; the seminar of 1991-1992 published as Probléma­tiques VII: Le fourvoiement biologisant de la sexualité chez Freud and, in an English translation by Donald Nicholson-Smith, as The Temptation of Biology: Freud's Theories of Sexuality and much else.New Foundations is a synthesis of Laplanche's conceptual research going back to Life and Death in Psychoanalysis of 1970 and, before that, to works co-authored with J.-B. Pontalis and with Serge Leclaire. Referring to Problématiques I through Problématiques V (1970 - 1984), Laplanche writes, "Now the moment has come to show how my positions are connected with each other." He certainly does just that and, most importantly, New Foundations was the first major presenta­tion of the General Theory of Seduction (GTS) that guided his work for the rest of his life even as he continued to refine it.Later, from a different angle Laplanche refers to the GTS as the Funda­mental Anthropological Situation. The GTS will provide the basis for unearthing and extending Freud's translational model of repression leading Laplanche to propose "a translational model of après-coup and, more generally, a translational model of the theory of seduction and even a translational model of the constitution of the human being." He will speak of translational theories of psychic trauma, of infantile sexu­ality, and ultimately, of translation as a mechanism at the origin of the human subject as a self-narrating, self-theorizing creature.

Die Nachträglichkeit ist ein psychoanalytischer Begriff mit einer besonderen Geschichte, der sowohl für die Metapsychologie der Zeit als auch für die klinische Praxis der Psychoanalyse unverzichtbar geworden ist. Freud hatte zwar immer wieder zentral darauf Bezug genommen, ihn aber nie systematisch ausgearbeitet. Mit der Vorlesungsreihe »L'après-coup« (Nachträglichkeit) aus den Jahren 1989 und 1990 nahm Laplanche die erste umfassende Analyse des Freud'schen Begriffes der Nachträglichkeit in der Geschichte der Psychoanalyse vor.In diesem Band, der die Vorlesungsreihe erstmals in deutscher Sprache enthält, eröffnet Laplanche einen Raum für verschiedene Interpretationen, um am Ende eine eigene Lesart vorzulegen: Er insistiert darauf, dass die Nachträglichkeit in ihrer Zweizeitigkeit ohne den Anderen und seine rätselhaften Botschaften nicht zu verstehen ist. Zum ersten Zeitpunkt wird das Subjekt mit einer zunächst unübersetzbaren Botschaft konfrontiert, die es zu einem zweiten Zeitpunkt, nach einer Zeit der Latenz, zu übersetzen versucht.

»Problématiques« nannte Jean Laplanche seine Vorlesungen zu jeweils einer grundlegenden Problemstellung der Psychoanalyse. Im siebten und abschließenden Vorlesungszyklus aus den Jahren 1991/92 folgt er der Frage nach dem Ursprung der infantilen Sexualität und dekonstruiert dabei Freuds Theorie, wie sie insbesondere in den Drei Abhandlungen zur Sexualtheorie entwickelt wird.Laplanche kritisiert Freuds zentralen Begriff der Anlehnung als eine biologistische Verirrung, in der sexuelle Triebe fälschlich endogen aus den Selbsterhaltungsinstinkten des Säuglings abgeleitet würden. In seinem eigenen exogenen Ansatz ist es dagegen der erwachsene »Andere«, der durch seine rätselhaften Botschaften die Geburt der infantilen Sexualität in Gang setzt.Mit diesem Band liegt die Vorlesung erstmals auf Deutsch vor. Er wird abgerundet durch einen Vortrag von 1997, in dem Laplanche die Unterscheidung zwischen Biologismus und Biologie einführt.

»Die hier zusammengestellten Aufsätze erstrecken sich über einen Zeitraum von etwa 20 Jahren. Sie kennzeichnen die Etappen meiner Entwicklung, die Etappen der Schöpfung einer zwar von Freud angeregten Metapsychologie, die abereine tiefergehende Erneuerung erfahren hat. Das Neue in der Psychoanalyse, wie auf allen anderen Gebieten, bedeutet eine Vertiefung der Grundlage, eine neue Begründung.« (Jean Laplanche)Der zentrale und lange Zeit auf Deutsch nicht zugängliche Text ist Die allgemeine Verführungstheorie. Die anderen Aufsätze bereiten den Weg dahin. In diesem revolutionären Theorieansatz trägt Laplanche einer grundsätzlichen, zwischenmenschlichen Situation Rechnung. Die eingeschränkte Theorie Freuds, die dieser recht schnell verdrängt hatte, wird durch Laplanche auf die Ebene der Verallgemeinerung gehoben. Von dieser Grundlage ausgehend, können die Metapsychologie und insbesondere die Lehre von den Trieben und von der Angst neu begriffen werden. Die psychoanalytische Praxis wird somit ihre Bedeutung und ihre Ziele besser bestimmen und behaupten können.

It is an uncannily precise delineation of the perverse rigor with which Freud's most virulent discoveries perpetually escape him-and are endlessly rediscovered.

Jean Laplanche is an incisive and important representative of contemporary psychoanalytic theorists. This text presents in English many of Laplanche's key essays and also provides an overview of his work.