The Language of the Self: The Function of Language in Psychoanalysis (Paperback)

by Jacques Lacan (Author), Anthony Wilden (Translator) "Whether it sees itself as an instrument of healing, of formation, or of exploration in depth, psychoanalysis has only a single intermediary: the patient's Word..." (more)
Key Phrases: Wolf Man, Rat Man, Standard Edition

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work excites... and fascinates." -- Le Monde

"Anthony Wilden's translation... will be of great interest to psychologists, linguists, and literary critics. His brilliant introduction and commentary provide the context necessary for an understanding of Lacan's place in the history of the 'human sciences.'." -- J. Hillis Miller

"A book which will richly reward close study by anyone interested in the implications of Freud's discourses for our time." -- Jan Miel

Book Description

A classic work on Freud by one of France's foremost philosophers and literary critics.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (December 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801858178
• ISBN-13: 978-0801858178
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #807,956 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Out of date, December 10, 2002

By	F.F. - See all my reviews

This book was very useful in its time but is now quite out of date. The translation included in it is that of "The Function and Field of Speech and Language in Psychoanalysis," which is now more profitably read in the new translation of Ecrits: A Selection (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2002).

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master Speaks, November 7, 2000

By	Nessander - See all my reviews

'All speech is demand, the demand for love.'

Jacques Lacan was much more than a psychoanalyst. In his investigations of language and his twenty year long seminar in France, he explored a realm of topics interesting to scholars in a variety of fields: sexuality, language, the self, the unconscious. Probably his most groundbreaking work - partially contained in this volume - concerns the importance of language as expressing our desire, our need for love - a desire, by the way, that can never be fulfilled and results in pain and frustration.

Anthony Wilden provides a decent translation, but all translations of Lacan's work - like the writings of Derrida - face a very difficult task. Highly recommended...