Difference between revisions of "Narcissism"

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{{Top}}narcissisme{{Bottom}}
  
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==Sigmund Freud==
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===Development of the Term===
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The term "[[narcissism]]" first appears in [[Freud]]'s [[Works of Sigmund Freud|work]] in 1910, but it is not until his [[work]] "[[Freud|On Narcissism: An Introduction]]"<ref>{{F}} "[[Works of Sigmund Freud|On Narcissism: An Introduction]]," 1914c. [[SE]] XIV, 69.</ref> that the [[concept]] begins to play a central [[role]] in [[psychoanalytic theory]].
  
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===Investment of the Libido in the Ego===
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From this point on, [[Freud]] defines [[narcissism]] as the investment of [[libido]] in the [[ego]], and opposes it to [[object]]-[[love]], in which [[libido]] is invested in [[object]]s.
  
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Self-love. Ideally, the libido directs its energies to objects ("object-libido"), including eventually one's love-object. However, the libido can also attach itself to the ego ("ego-libido") to the exclusion of external object-cathexes. This situation leads, according to Freud, to narcissistic behavior and to narcissistic neuroses such as megalomania. Lacan makes narcissism an even more central aspect of the human psyche, aligning it with what he terms the "imaginary order," one of the three major structures of the psyche (along with the Real and the symbolic order). Lacan suggests that, whereas the zero form of sexuality for animals is copulation, the zero form of sexuality for humans is masturbation. The act of sex for humans is so much caught up in our fantasies (our idealized images of both ourselves and our sexual partners) that it is ultimately narcissistic. As Lacan puts it, "That's what love is. It's one's own ego that one loves in love, one's own ego made real on the imaginary level."<ref>(Freud's Papers 142).</ref>
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===Birth of the Ego===
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[[Lacan]] attributes great importance to this [[phase]] in [[Freud]]'s work, since it clearly inscribes the [[ego]] as an [[object]] of the [[libido|libidinal economy]], and [[links]] the [[birth]] of the [[ego]] to the [[narcissism|narcissistic stage]] of [[development]].
  
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===Narcissistic Stage of Development===
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[[Narcissism]] is different from the prior [[stage]] of [[autoeroticism]] (in which the [[ego]] does not [[exist]] as a [[unity]]), and only comes [[about]] when "a new [[psychical]] [[action]]" gives birth to the [[ego]].
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==Jacques Lacan==
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===Myth of Narcissus===
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[[Lacan]] develops [[Freud]]'s concept by linking it more explicitly with its namesake, the [[myth]] of [[Narcissus]].
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===Identification with the Specular Image===
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[[Lacan]] thus defines [[narcissism]] as the erotic attraction to the [[specular image]]; this erotic relation underlies the primary [[identification]] by which the [[ego]] is formed in the [[mirror stage]].
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===Erotic-Aggressive Character of Narcissism===
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[[Narcissism]] has both an [[erotic]] [[character]] and an [[aggressive]] character.  It is erotic, as the myth of [[Narcissus]] shows, since the [[subject]] is strongly attracted to the [[gestalt]] that is his [[image]].  It is [[aggressive]], since the [[wholeness]] of the [[specular image]] contrasts with the uncoordinated disunity of the [[subject]]'s [[real]] [[body]], and thus seems to threaten the [[subject]] with [[fragmented body|disintegration]].
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===="Narcissistic Suicidal Aggression"====
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In "[[Lacan|Remarks on Psychic Sausality]],"<ref>{{L}} "[[Work of Jacques Lacan|Propos sur la causalité psychique]]", in {{E}} [1946]. pp. 151-93</ref> [[Lacan]] coins the term "[[narcissism|narcissistic suicidal aggression]]" (''[[narcissism|aggression suicidaire narcissique]]'') to express the fact that the [[eroticism|erotic]]-[[aggressive]] character of the [[narcissistic]] infatuation with the [[specular image]] can lead the [[subject]] to [[self]]-[[destruction]] (as the myth of [[Narcissus]] also illustrates).<ref>{{Ec}} p. 187; {{Ec}} p. 174</ref>
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===Imaginary Dimension of Human Relationships===
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The [[narcissistic]] relation constitutes the [[imaginary]] [[dimension]] of [[human]] relationships.<ref>{{S3}} p. 92</ref>
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==See Also==
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{{See}}
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* [[Aggressivity]]
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* [[Autoeroticism]]
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* [[Body]]
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* [[Ego]]
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* [[Identification]]
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* [[Imaginary]]
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* [[Libido]]
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* [[Mirror stage]]
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* [[Specular image]]
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{{Also}}
  
 
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Latest revision as of 19:47, 20 May 2019

French: narcissisme

Sigmund Freud

Development of the Term

The term "narcissism" first appears in Freud's work in 1910, but it is not until his work "On Narcissism: An Introduction"[1] that the concept begins to play a central role in psychoanalytic theory.

Investment of the Libido in the Ego

From this point on, Freud defines narcissism as the investment of libido in the ego, and opposes it to object-love, in which libido is invested in objects.

Birth of the Ego

Lacan attributes great importance to this phase in Freud's work, since it clearly inscribes the ego as an object of the libidinal economy, and links the birth of the ego to the narcissistic stage of development.

Narcissistic Stage of Development

Narcissism is different from the prior stage of autoeroticism (in which the ego does not exist as a unity), and only comes about when "a new psychical action" gives birth to the ego.

Jacques Lacan

Myth of Narcissus

Lacan develops Freud's concept by linking it more explicitly with its namesake, the myth of Narcissus.

Identification with the Specular Image

Lacan thus defines narcissism as the erotic attraction to the specular image; this erotic relation underlies the primary identification by which the ego is formed in the mirror stage.

Erotic-Aggressive Character of Narcissism

Narcissism has both an erotic character and an aggressive character. It is erotic, as the myth of Narcissus shows, since the subject is strongly attracted to the gestalt that is his image. It is aggressive, since the wholeness of the specular image contrasts with the uncoordinated disunity of the subject's real body, and thus seems to threaten the subject with disintegration.

"Narcissistic Suicidal Aggression"

In "Remarks on Psychic Sausality,"[2] Lacan coins the term "narcissistic suicidal aggression" (aggression suicidaire narcissique) to express the fact that the erotic-aggressive character of the narcissistic infatuation with the specular image can lead the subject to self-destruction (as the myth of Narcissus also illustrates).[3]

Imaginary Dimension of Human Relationships

The narcissistic relation constitutes the imaginary dimension of human relationships.[4]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Freud, Sigmund. "On Narcissism: An Introduction," 1914c. SE XIV, 69.
  2. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. "Propos sur la causalité psychique", in Lacan, Jacques. Écrits: A Selection. Trans. Alan Sheridan. London: Tavistock Publications, 1977. [1946]. pp. 151-93
  3. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. Écrits. Paris: Seuil, 1966. p. 187; Lacan, Jacques. Écrits. Paris: Seuil, 1966. p. 174
  4. ↑ Lacan, Jacques. The Seminar. Book III. The Psychoses, 1955-56. Trans. Russell Grigg. London: Routledge, 1993. p. 92


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