1 Lacan and the Pre-Socratics Alain Badiow is mays perilous to approach Lacan fom a phi tor he san ant philwophen and ao one cd Considering hin nation othe Pre Socratic ia sil ore sky under aking, Reerenes to thee thinkers in Lacan work are rar, ct ho all meine by something ober han themes. Th irk of osing onc thou sta net conontton between Lacan aad eideger which hall th trations of rhe a sve a perspective onthe scape of Laces ets one soul Sight ofthe fc that i location, he dsitrsted cxamination The etry ower f Lacan's ferences tthe Pre-Scratics i see 1 would almost oy encoded. Thnee thikers are invoked: Exped, Hereltus and Parmenies The avcstion etal aug up in four pee pel problems, The fist can be formulas as [pte of thought psychoanalysis the he? The quaton riches ft yond the pint wherewith Descartes, we enter the modern epoch af the ‘bjt o bat Lacan cilsthe sje of scence OF couse, pyehouralys ul appear only within the element ofthis modi, Bot a = general gure ofthe wlo thought (veneer ienigatcl eas canton {tion with what is moet npnar in our alte Here question of knowing, nha sat sake when we determine te place of pyehoanais in the sty ‘Wester hsiory af thought, in which pyehoaalss mars «rupture, and hich eno a all constituted by but rater, panctuated by piso. The second publem concerns the reltion~ whi fs dees oe Lacan stncen prychoanapis and Plt. Driven mestaton hie ‘eatin f unsuble, Lacan's references to the Pre-Sorscs dary the Principe behind ties The hind problem ofcourseLacan's elton to Heidegger so Heidegger tat we one the rexcaton af the PreSocratcs the ftgten sore fom whith our dey a fights not a ater he of ‘oping Tan to Heiser” whch would be meaninglas the theme of ngs sone emp uso seas nally he orth problem concera he plemikal amerson of ppcho nals With rept t what primordial vison of thought dss Peo oni hating press i Thre sms dud ht ac ee nk no Spite epi rte ae Trews wook was ne fowndon 4 pt Bat it sao te product sitet not mich to what aly eoltonary in pcos imacy of iouse and he fancon of rene wth proces. (On err ctasons Lacan praes the innocent sub ofthe re ia pris su se Ths, the senna on transrence he wee: Beyond ths hope ein nthe fs php Sale physi of Eling an inte grsp om the ane the urea of Uc, whch sia the How are mecha this ocala balancing of the ‘andi’ and ‘ato You wil ell dha tan oll matenataton tobe the key toy inka ction to the Re He never varied on ths pot Inthe seminee Fino sy io he ight not of ation: Matbentinton sone renova al Without mathematiaton, without thers a the ete prise dear the Rea resins ative to. mde ity en by ante i this to sy tht the De Scape rerain within the bounds cot the mythic marti whch ders the pants ofthe Worl No, for they outline genuine rapture wth taonal know, abet one itnon wah rpid tothe there Their pli eset Lace oc ot conv of the Pre Sorats ss the oundesofa tration or test waton intense A ado Plocing cir trst nthe pe upenyo ou the re Soars had the gndione say to reak wit al tatoos of now. This shyt wing preigtematheratistion hough the ater sot psa is eral fm The promo gs pro imeion the we of post form. ar ror oppo Hei he DreScrt poem to Pat's math, Lact ha the power es ht ay waste ln thing fo utheataton sable the Pre Socratic. Feet form the innocent othe rand, For Laat teen goes beyond the ep cone of aterets because sntiptes the guy of he Imai bo cr he wes SUIS pismo Ober eH a lg an tar fot This tat inded eisers an innocents ac of api Theres ‘oneing une in Farmed popoion on bong inthe ese of gues of pxtc het are bande asf an ncn ining eh Tress thet hatte grasp of thought upon the ea ean be enbid ny by tected power oe eter es forth on ta the Pe Sect shoul be pretty wat ie hough rom ye tht invoisthe ipl ano kn Thy etre hough the ofl a elton of being wren es the fact tics second foundational inmotion ws o pos the powerfon tanserence is ofcourse, ou ging reference hee. Take the lowing Passages Phadras ls that Lvs, the st ofthe god imagined by the (Gove of Parmenides, and which Jean Best in is ook on Parmenides denies more accurately bllee, with ath than with any ther func tea in trail strate," In fc, Lacan eit the Pes Soctais with bing lave to the question ofthe tut int wap ist of al they were able ae tht fovea Lacan isl sy i what brings bing face ofa wth cl hiss expres in Empl descrip som of lve asthe “powt of cbeson or harmony. Secondly ad above al the Pre Sacraics pointed ut that in ve tat theo ules the {gna of the dferene between theses, Love the appearance of non ‘eton, the sexual nomen, tala eo texte that ay spree elation F ponctzed or undone. This puncturing tis undoing ofthe One, wha als love with the question of te tt Theft hat we ae dein hve sth what rings ito Benga nolo in place of ton pect ws ss say hat nome thi pt of tetra which experienced the gute of hte Hate i slong with Jove and ignorance, the mery pasion of ‘he eu, toe extent that t process nomen nagined a elation. Lacan enblematally ascribes to Empodocs ths jer of tah the torsion tat relies ove to Hate Empedocls saw tha the question of our Being and of what can be stated of teat presupposes the vsogition of son-ttion, an orignal ioc. Ione ceases to const econo ‘ome scheme of deta anagonlsms, he lverhte tension ioe of the pore sume ofthis darord Feud, as Lacan emphases, had rcogizd in Empedaces something lose tthe antinomy of dvs. Inthe "Rome Report, Iacan mentions the express ference of [Fouls new conception tothe cnt af the two principles 10 which che alteration of univer Hf wat subjected by Erpedocl of Agrigentum i the ih centary ne” we allow tt hat 3 sae re acest blag inthe shape fa rth, ca sty tit what Empedocker tenis inthe ping of love and ate, pie and mia somthing skint the exces he Psonic, Lacan, one suits teats thi eles such a way as to put increasing empha om acon, on no-ration athe hy to tah, To this ny he Deetingly pair Empedotes and Horacio. Fanpedoces oats the two terns though which the ney of now-titon i ncribd Enpodocer names the fo pasion of tte 1s deployed by stra Herel antsin the primacy acon es the hin of no caon's ‘hvonolopel prot aver ration Tab, for example te ‘ned dee in "Agere In Py mali sal dehiscence that irene period for hi, “ama” Uo tht nals the anton nn of co whe hs Nw ot Sty cones to Hest Inshore the eaneesons ete lve te {thd wld mee sind by Epes a thn raid by Ws tee oc nto of hee i i Iccanequences tt esn be desva fh wring epg Ge Sine ihe Gal Empelns Knows ning of ht and here nating ofthe ‘Mcho Gods acs to th tobe cnesponding rested. Tiree Tie to tne Iles cokes © af whoa wor we Know bot thre lines, b ‘heen Gol wa the mw ret of a fgg End For the sarting consequences that canbe evn fom thee comsiderations of Goat ignorance re the reader to Fangs Repauls marvelous book Pit tee weet weber afl ing Se ei ‘reser wth an inition tha ba ar-seachinginpcatons forthe Feorce tut nent in exon 2 Let ws tur to the pbs of abn the relaonship ecween psycho sna and Patni in Heidegger's sey the Pre Soratis were deployed largely in omer ccomstrce Pat anda ae flc,tople the emergence ofthe en Sf mephysi: Docs tac conduct ular operation? The answer i comple . Tan neve pursies purely pilosophica objectives 1s inten then. ie not to diet Mat athe, Lacan maintains am srbiguous aly wih Plt.lao and pychoualis have alt two concept undertakings in ‘the One. On these wo poi tates. rest dl to Lacan fo ah that what he called the Feta way Iie om the Paton Socratic this aid whe sugling to mark the boundary between ry. anal and Phan. Avd'it lo clr tha the ceed wae itis {sinking of kaowedge and wath, J aca atte 10 Plato + dsr for cing to he completed by knowlege, end therfore an ienifaton (isl ently prod of mastery) of Knowledge wih ruth The Mein lt sense wo bes quel poi hich issimultancosy anon f kaowlge and a ater dre To Len, Soch «pin can onl Be imaginary ea cor pling the bits Berween Knowle and truth tng 2 falco peace tthe orginal cond Lacan bls tat Pat'standing dis inthe light of Empedel forte or ht between the PreSocats and Pat I's ne ewer ie meaning of being rates, the mennng of nowslin ofthe st ‘ration og nde, what has bent thoughts eno the ‘Onc oul ai ay that een the Pre Socratic and Poa change hes place in the way diference though This fundamental fo aca sine the signer constuted by cence: Empedoces and Healt post tha inthe hing deny sss by rence Assn asa thing xpos wo thought can be ented ony by diference. Pat ou ed have lat sit of his ine of argues snc he removed th by of ening difeence within the Seni ofthe dew We coud sy that te FreSocrats direst ent, while Pato ienies erence This perhaps the sore of Lea's preronce for Hera Tcaling in is ey ist seria, that theron between the concept sath hn found onthe paring enya iterenes Lacan we shins such ht teow ofthe wor never comes ops wie by he same ttn, s pee heae My dione sey surat in he ehing* re we ae ow Lacan conta the eee eateon of Irons acon tothe fied pot ofthe Mea in Plato = wt the sv ferent proces consttateof the thing Wal Te Leeann ction ofthe ration ben ny and iference~ an heforesin iting, betwen the one sd th muti finde oppor ota Pati the nivel mobi of Heals Thiss wht Lan eee with gard tothe Gd of Present Scher in the tx ‘Om Question Prciminary 0 ny Posie Texment of eho or Schebethe Creator “Unig in I Maloy, Mule n ts Unky (uch are he atts eminent of Teri ith whith Seber dates i)" Tn fc whet Herc ove fo think ~and what Pt, o he con trays prkiis the death drive, The Maton efor so dnt iference throug the dea aves no room fry Heracles dca, onthe other anlar very eet In Senna Vil when be dcuss Antigone Ste In ber tb, and our irorance of what happening Ie iStan detec "No bet tae than the aprons of Feces hing thes apborsn he mon ll the one ich ite the a tent the Pallas and dente fwing sing for: ade and Doms ane neath sn’ Te autho dieenes lows Herts to pone, inthe wentty ofthe got of the dead with The god of val ‘Ss the douielvstment ofthe Pallas Os Lacan pts of Bache frocetions “And [Hralus] lade up tothe point where bes tht {Tie werent a reference to Has or 4 teeny of cay it wou be ohing mre han sn odie pale reno Acoding to Lea, the Maton sobordnsion a irene to Hentty Incapable of arvng otto 3 ering to Hsiegger, we shold of cour reall hat Lacan translate his ich deb partir with sacl bbe that thee principal sonnctions can be ran beneeen Lacan ad Heidegr. They involve epson the One and bring fost [ie pour amor. A ee are elie bythe Pre Socrates Tiss Lacan belies ec go 90 far ast say that thre i at Beast similarity betwee the Headian theme of repression and the Heieggein ison of truth and fongeting, i sigaant for Laan that a Hesdgge remark, the mame of here forget, Lethe, can be hearin the word forty ase The hak is made expt nthe ft sen