=def=
Freud's concept of the drive (Trieb) (pulsion) lies at the heart of his theory of sexuality. For Freud, the distinctive feature of human sexuality, as opposed to the sexual life of other animals, is that it is not regulated by any [[instinct]] (a concept which implies a relatively fixed and innate relationship to an object) but by the drives, which differ from instincts in that they are extremely variable, and develop in ways which are contingent on the life history of the subject.
Lacan insists on maintaining the Freudian distinction between Trieb ('drive') and Instinkt ('instinct'), and criticises James Strachey for obliterating this distinction by translating both terms as 'instinct' in the Standard Edition.<ref> (E, 301)</ref> Whereas 'instinct' denotes a mythical pre-linguistic [[need], the drive is completely removed from the realm of [[biology]]. The drives differ from biological needs in that they can never be satisfied, and do not aim at an object but rather circle perpetually round it. Lacan argues that the purpose of the drive (Triebziel) is not to reach a goal (a final destination) but to follow its aim (the way itself), which is to circle round the object.<ref>Sll, 168</ref> Thus the real purpose of the drive is not some mythical goal of full satisfaction, but to return to its circular path, and the real source of enjoyment is the repetitive movement of this closed circuit.
Lacan reminds his readers that Freud defined the drive as a montage composed of four discontinuous elements: the pressure, the end, the object and the source. The drive cannot therefore be conceived of as 'some ultimate given, something archaic, primordial';<ref>Sll, 162</ref> it is a thoroughly cultural and symbolic construct. Lacan thus empties the concept of the drive of the lingering references in Freud's work to energetics and hydraulics.
Lacan incorporates the four elements of the drive in his theory of the drive's 'circuit'. In this circuit, the drive originates in an erogenous zone, circles round the object, and then returns to the erogenous zone. This circuit is structured by the three grammatical voices
1 The active voice Freud's concept of the drive (e.g. to seeTrieb)2 The reflexive voice (e.g. to see oneselfpulsion)3 The passive voice (elies at the heart of his theory of sexuality.g. to be seen)
For Freud, the distinctive feature of human sexuality, as opposed to the sexual life of other animals, is that it is not regulated by any [[instinct]] (a concept which implies a relatively fixed and innate relationship to an object) but by the drives, which differ from instincts in that they are extremely variable, and develop in ways which are contingent on the life history of the subject.
The first of these two times (active and reflexive voices) are autoerotic: they lack a subject Only in the third time (the passive voice), when the drive completes its circuit, does 'a new subject' appear (which is to say that before this time, there was no subject).<ref> see S11, 178</ref> Although the third time is the passive voice, the drive is always essentially active, which is why Lacan writes the third time not as 'to be seen' but as 'to make oneself be seen'. Even supposedly 'passive' phases of the drive such as masochism involve activity.<ref>Sll, 200</ref> The circuit of the drive is the only way for the subject to transgress the pleasure principle.
Freud argued that sexuality is composed of a number of partial drives (Ger. Partieltrieb) such as the oral drive and the anal drive, each specified by a different source (a different erotogenic zone). At first these component drives function anarchically and independently (viz. the 'polymorphous perversity' of children), but in puberty they become organised and fused together under the primacy of the genital organs.<ref>Freud, 1905d</ref> Lacan emphasises the partial nature of all drives, but differs from Freud on two points.
1. [[Lacan rejects the idea that the partial drives can ever attain any complete organisation or fusion, arguing that ]] reaffirms the primacy of the genital zone, if achieved, is always a highly precarious affair. He thus challenges the notion, put forward by some psychoanalysts after Freud, of a genital Freudian distinction between [[drive in which the partial drives are completely integrated in a harmonious fashion]] (''Trieb'') and [[instinct]] (''Instinkt'').<ref>E 301</ref>
2[[Instinct]] denotes a [[myth]]ical pre-linguistic [[need]]. Lacan argues that [[Drive]] is completely removed from the drives are partialrealm of [[biology]].[[Drive]], not in the sense that they are parts of a whole (a 'genital drive')unlike [[biology|biological]] [[need]]s, but in the sense that they only represent sexuality partially; they can never be [[satisfaction|satisfied]].[[Drive]]s do not represent the reproductive function of sexuality aim at an [[object]] but only the dimension of enjoymentrather circle perpetually round it.<ref>Sll, 204</ref>
[[Lacan identifies four partial drives: ]] argues that the oral purpose of the [[drive]] is not to reach a goal (a final destination) but to follow its aim (the way itself), which is to circle round the anal drive[[object]].<ref>Sll, 168</ref> Thus the scopic real purpose of the [[drive]] is not some [[myth]]ical goal of full [[satisfaction]], but to return to its circular path, and the invocatory drive. Each real source of these drives [[enjoyment]] is specified by a different partial object and a different erogenous zonethe [[repetition|repetitive]] movement of this closed circuit.
The first two drives relate to demand, whereas the second pair relate to desire.
In 1957, in the context of the graph of desire, Lacan proposes the formula (SO D) as the [[matheme]] for the drive. This formula is to be read: the barred subject in relation to demand, the fading of the subject before the insistence of a demand that persists without any conscious intention to sustain it.
Throughout Lacan reminds his readers that Freud defined the various reformulations of drive-theory in Freud's work, one constant feature is as a basic dualism. At first this dualism was conceived in terms montage composed of an opposition between four discontinuous elements: the sexual drives (Sexualtriebe) on the one handpressure, and the ego-drives (Ichtriebe) or drives of self-preservation (Selbsterhaltungs-triebe) on the other. This opposition was problematised by Freud's growing realisationend, in the period 1914-20, that object and the ego-drives are themselves sexualsource.
He was thus led The [[drive]] does not refer to reconceptualise the dualism of the drives in terms of an opposition between the life drives (Lebenstriebe) "some ultimate given, something archaic, primordial."<ref>Sll, 162</ref> The [[drive]] is a thoroughly cultural and the death drives (Todestriebe)symbolic construct.
Lacan argues that it is important to retain Freud's dualism, and rejects the monism of Jung, who argued that all psychic forces could be reduced to one single concept of psychic energy.<ref>(Sl, l18-20).</ref> However, Lacan prefers to reconceptualise this dualism in terms of an opposition between the symbolic and the imaginary, and not in terms of an opposition between different kinds of drives. Thus, for Lacan, all drives are sexual drives, and every drive is a [[death drive]]. Since every drive is excessive, repetitive, and ultimately destructive.<ref> (Ec,848)</ref>
Lacan incorporates the four elements of the drive in his theory of the drive's 'circuit'. In this circuit, the drive originates in an erogenous zone, circles round the object, and then returns to the erogenous zone. This circuit is structured by the three grammatical voices
The drives are closely related to [[desire]]; both originate in the field of the subject, as opposed to the genital drive, which (if it exists) finds its form on the side of the Other.<ref>(Sll, 189)</ref> However, the drive is not merely another name for desire: they are the partial aspects in which desire is realised. Desire is one and undivided, whereas the drives are partial manifestations of desire.
1 The active voice (e.g. to see)
2 The reflexive voice (e.g. to see oneself)
3 The passive voice (e.g. to be seen)
PARTIAL EROGENOUS PARTIAL VERBThe first of these two times (active and reflexive voices) are autoerotic: they lack a subject Only in the third time (the passive voice), when the drive completes its circuit, does 'a new subject' appear (which is to say that before this time, there was no subject).<ref> see S11, 178</ref> Although the third time is the passive voice, the drive is always essentially active, which is why Lacan writes the third time not as 'to be seen' but as 'to make oneself be seen'. Even supposedly 'passive' phases of the drive such as masochism involve activity.<ref>Sll, 200</ref> The circuit of the drive is the only way for the subject to transgress the pleasure principle.
DRIVE ZONE OBJECT
Freud argued that sexuality is composed of a number of partial drives (Ger. Partieltrieb) such as the oral drive and the anal drive, each specified by a different source (a different erotogenic zone). At first these component drives function anarchically and independently (viz. the 'polymorphous perversity' of children), but in puberty they become organised and fused together under the primacy of the genital organs.<ref>Freud, 1905d</ref> Lacan emphasises the partial nature of all drives, but differs from Freud on two points.
D Oral drive Lips Breast To suck
[[Lacan]] rejects the idea that the partial drives can ever attain any complete organisation or fusion, arguing that the primacy of the genital zone, if achieved, is always a highly precarious affair. He thus challenges the notion, put forward by some psychoanalysts after Freud, of a genital drive in which the partial drives are completely integrated in a harmonious fashion.
2. Lacan argues that the drives are partial, not in the sense that they are parts of a whole (a 'genital drive'), but in the sense that they only represent sexuality partially; they do not represent the reproductive function of sexuality but only the dimension of enjoyment.<ref>Sll, 204</ref>
Lacan identifies four partial drives: the oral drive, the anal drive, the scopic drive, and the invocatory drive. Each of these drives is specified by a different partial object and a different erogenous zone.
Anal The first two drives relate to demand, whereas the second pair relate to desire.In 1957, in the context of the graph of desire, Lacan proposes the formula (SO D) as the [[matheme]] for the drive Anus Faeces To shit. This formula is to be read: the barred subject in relation to demand, the fading of the subject before the insistence of a demand that persists without any conscious intention to sustain it.
Throughout the various reformulations of drive-theory in Freud's work, one constant feature is a basic dualism. At first this dualism was conceived in terms of an opposition between the sexual drives (Sexualtriebe) on the one hand, and the ego-drives (Ichtriebe) or drives of self-preservation (Selbsterhaltungs-triebe) on the other. This opposition was problematised by Freud's growing realisation, in the period 1914-20, that the ego-drives are themselves sexual.
He was thus led to reconceptualise the dualism of the drives in terms of an opposition between the life drives (Lebenstriebe) and the death drives (Todestriebe).
Lacan argues that it is important to retain Freud's dualism, and rejects the monism of Jung, who argued that all psychic forces could be reduced to one single concept of psychic energy.<ref>(Sl, l18-20).</ref> However, Lacan prefers to reconceptualise this dualism in terms of an opposition between the symbolic and the imaginary, and not in terms of an opposition between different kinds of drives. Thus, for Lacan, all drives are sexual drives, and every drive is a [[death drive]]. Since every drive is excessive, repetitive, and ultimately destructive.<ref> (Ec,848)</ref>
d Scopic The drives are closely related to [[desire]]; both originate in the field of the subject, as opposed to the genital drive Eyes Gaze To see Invocatory , which (if it exists) finds its form on the side of the Other.<ref>(Sll, 189)</ref> However, the drive Ears Voice To hear Figure 4 Table of is not merely another name for desire: they are the partial aspects in which desire is realised. Desire is one and undivided, whereas the drivesare partial manifestations of desire.
