Imaginary, symbolic, real
Document Type
Book Chapter
Department
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Jacques Lacan's conception of the imaginary, the symbolic, and the real orders constitutes one of the most important developments in post-Freudian psychoanalysis. Based in part on Freud's thinking about the Oedipal complex and the unconscious, Lacan's triad provides a mechanism for describing different orders of psychic reality. In part because he never defined these terms explicitly, and in part because the relationship among the different orders is unstable, they remain in some ways enigmatic. Nevertheless, Lacan's own usage, and that of his protégés and successors, provides us with a fairly clear sense of their nature and function. The terms “imaginary,” “symbolic,” and “real” have proven extremely influential and have paved the way for a resurgence of interest in psychoanalytic approaches to literary and cultural texts, especially in cultural studies, film theory, feminist theory, and the study of sexuality and gender.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Wiley online library
Recommended Citation
Rousselle, D.
(2010). Imaginary, symbolic, real. Wiley online library.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fas_fas/42