Lacan with the Philosophers

Review

"The strength of the book is the nuanced way in which Ronen engages the text of Lacan and how each chapter is a model itself of the relation she so brilliantly writes about." -- Marcus Pound, Durham University ― University of Toronto Quarterly: Letters in Canada 2018

"Lacan with the Philosophers is a must-read for any philosopher interested in what this singular French psychoanalyst and thinker contributes to reading the great philosophers of our tradition: Plato on love, Pascal on God, Descartes on the cogito, Kant on morality and on the a priori, and Hegel on the absolute master. The analysis takes us in the other direction as well, showing through several key analyses in what ways Lacan put these philosophers to use in the service of psychoanalysis." -- Russell Grigg, Philosophy, Deakin University

"Lacan with the Philosophers is an important book, creating as it does a real dialogue between different traditions, themes, and perspectives in both psychoanalysis and philosophy. Not only will it be useful to scholars in both disciplines and attendant fields, it will also be of interest to clinicians." -- Dominique Hecq, Higher Education, Swinburne University of Technology


Product Description

Closely examining Jacques Lacan's unique mode of engagement with philosophy, Lacan with the Philosophers sheds new light on the interdisciplinary relations between philosophy and psychoanalysis. While highlighting the philosophies fundamental to the study of Lacan’s psychanalysis, Ruth Ronen reveals how Lacan resisted the straightforward use of these works. Lacan’s use of philosophy actually has a startling effect in not only providing exceptional entries into the philosophical texts (of Aristotle, Descartes, Kant and Hegel), but also in exposing the affinity between philosophy and psychoanalysis around shared concepts (including truth, the unconscious, and desire), and at the same time affirming the irreducible difference between the analyst and the philosopher.
Inspired by Lacan’s resistance to philosophy, Ruth Ronen addresses Lacan’s use of philosophy to create a fertile moment of exchange. Straddling the fields of philosophy and psychoanalysis with equal emphasis, Lacan with the Philosophers develops a unique interdisciplinary analysis and offers a new perspective on the body of Lacan’s writings.

About the Author

Ruth Ronen is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University.