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SUMMARY:Lacan's conceptualization of the relation between psychoanalysis\,
  science and philosophy - Alireza Taheri (Department of History and Philos
 ophy of Science)
DTSTART:20110519T153000Z
DTEND:20110519T170000Z
UID:TALK30722@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Nicky Reeves
DESCRIPTION:Psychoanalysis has been the subject of controversial critiques
  from a multitude of perspectives. Prominent among these are Masson's crit
 ique of Freud's abandonment of seduction theory\, Sokal and Bricmont's cri
 tique of Lacan's 'abuse' of scientific and mathematical concepts\, Foucaul
 t's critique of the 'repressive hypothesis' and psychoanalysis' pretence t
 o universality (rather than seeing itself as merely one among many other '
 hermeneutics of self')\, Popper's critique of non-falsifiability and so on
 . Given the controversies surrounding psychoanalysis in general and Lacani
 an theory in particular\, this talk will consider two related questions. T
 he first concerns the scientificity (or lack thereof) of psychoanalysis. T
 he second involves a critique of modern science in light of the Lacanian n
 otion of the subject. Central themes involved in the elaboration of these 
 two questions will be 1. the role of linguistics in Lacanian theory\, 2. t
 he importance accorded to mathematical formalization in Lacan's understand
 ing of the scientific revolution (can psychoanalysis aspire to such formal
 ization?)\, 3. the notion of the 'divided subject'\, 4. Lacan's attempt to
  rigorously demarcate psychoanalysis\, distinguishing it from science\, re
 ligion and magic\, and finally 5. Lacan's equation of the 'subject of scie
 nce' with the psychoanalytic notion of the 'subject of the unconscious' in
  light of the Cartesian _Cogito_.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, Department of History and Philosophy of Science
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