Did Jacques Lacan Say Anything New?

Abstract

The late French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan is an important theoretician, well known in Europe and South America, whose work is rapidly gaining recognition in other countries. However, Lacan is still poorly known in the United States except in academic departments of philosophy, linguistics, and literature. Psychoanalytic clinicians and even many training analysts often find it difficult to approach Lacan's complex theory, and his reputation in the U.S. has suffered from a number of misunderstandings. Nevertheless, judging by his worldwide influence, he has clearly made original contributions to psychoanalytic theory and technique. A biographical sketch of Lacan's life, paired with a brief overview of his writings and seminars, helps to indicate some of the reasons for both the difficulty and the misunderstandings. A flavor of Lacan's works can be achieved through a more detailed look at one of his major concepts: the use of logical time in analysis, which is the origin of the controversial (so-called) "short sessions."