ISSN 1751-8229 Volume Six, Number Two

Learning to Tickle: How to transmit knowledge as if re-telling a joke

Dennis Yao, European Graduate School
1. Introduction
Despite what the title o this paper pro!ises - an anal"sis o the educational potential o #o$es we will onl" eature a sin%ular, thou%h not particularl" unn", one in the ollowin% pa%es& 'his is (ecause we are not so !uch concerned with the )arious structures o #o$es that are possi(le, or with a theor" which could help us cate%ori*e and relate di erent #o$es to each other& +e do not pro!ise to "ield a !ethod which can si!pl" (e applied to e,istin% $nowled%e, !a$in% it !ore di%esti(le or the student - and we de initel" are not proposin% that $nowled%e should (e so!ehow hu!orous (e ore it can (e trans!itted& -ather, we are loo$in% or a !ethodolo%" which itsel does not rel" on $nowled%e, (ut produces it& 'his clai! should see! .uite stran%e i #o$es unction precisel" (" introducin% the sa!e $nowled%e each ti!e, in the or! o a unn" punchline& 'his /sa!eness0 o #o$es see!s to (e so!ehow antithetical to the production o new $nowled%e& Yet, we cannot sa" that what we $now o a #o$e is e,actl" the sa!e a ter the #o$e has (een told& 1n e ect is produced which is not si!pl" o the order o $nowled%e, (ut can (e said to ha)e structurin% e ects on $nowled%e itsel & 2ere, it is use ul to introduce the di erence (etween a #o$e and a co!ic se.uence& 1s our !ain re erence or the theor" o #o$es, 1len$a 3upan4i4, e,plains5 a #o$e is structured around a te!poral instant in which the point de capiton 6.uiltin% point7 /captures the structure o the #o$e as !ade apparent at that !o!ent0 83upan4i4 1

29985 1:;<& 1 co!ic se.uence, on the other hand, /can (e read as structurin% a certain len%th o ti!e and displa"in% an ele!entar" or! o its un oldin%0 829985 1:7<& So, while a #o$e=s punchline !a" retroacti)el" chan%e the !eanin% o the precedin% se.uence leadin% up to it, the co!ic se.uence is characteri*ed (" !ultiple re)ersals o the sa!e master signifier, another >acanian ter! or the .uiltin% point& 'hou%h in (oth cases, this si%ni ier is at wor$ in producin% the e ect o co!ed", it is onl" the latter in which it is ta$en as a /co!ic o(#ect0 itsel & 1 %ood e,a!ple o the latter, which is de)eloped in 3upan4i4=s (oo$, is the a!ous /2u=s on ?irst0 (" @a!es Sher!an& It is .uite a lon% #o$e which ta$es place in the A)al A ice around the ti!e o 2u @intao=s rise to presidenc" in Bhina, coincidin% with Geor%e Cush=s ad!inistration D the dialo%ue ta$es place (etween Cush and Bondolee**a -ice 8see appendi,<& 'his co!ic dialo%ue shows how the initial !isreco%nition o the si%ni ier 2u (oth produces the co!ic e ect, and can also ser)e as the !otor or the su(se.uent de)elop!ent o the #o$e& 3upan4i4 de ines the structure o such a se.uence as /continuit"-throu%h-discontinuit"0 in which there is no necessar" conclusion& 829985 1E9< >et us now ta$e, or e,a!ple, a racist or se,ist #o$e 8this ti!e I ha)e no e,a!ples, "ou can ta$e an" one "ou !i%ht $now<5 we cannot sa" that the" do not rel" upon the unctionin% o actual racist or se,ist !oti s& Yet, there is also an aspect o these o ensi)e #o$es which is !ore a!(i%uous in the totalit" o the stru%%le or racial and se,ual e.ualit"& FiGe$, or e,a!ple, has stated that the onl" wa" to trul" co!(at racis! is to (e racist without e,ceptions& 'he distinction (etween #o$e and co!ic se.uence, alon% with their di erent deplo"!ents o the !aster si%ni ier, is operati)e in this clai!& 'hou%h a #o$e=s punchline is o ten (ased on a dis%ustin% pre!ise, there are certain !o!ents in which this pre!ise itsel is su()erted in the tellin% o a #o$e, sa", (" a !e!(er o the race or class which the #o$e is tar%etin%& 2owe)er, we should (e )er" care ul in notin% that such a su()ersion cannot (e %uaranteed - we cannot sa", or e,a!ple, that a Bhinese !an !a$in% a racist #o$e a(out Bhinese people necessaril" neutrali*es the racist pre!ise o the #o$e& Such a %uarantee is i!possi(le (ecause the pre!ise o the #o$e is not held entirel" within its content, (ut also lies outside in the concrete or!s o social, political and econo!ic in#ustice& 'he !aster si%ni ier is neither the e,plicit content o the #o$e, nor its historical (ac$%round, (ut the )er" di erence (etween these two le)els 8as de)eloped in 3upan4i4=s wor$, re erenced a(o)e<& +e are dealin% with a co!ic se.uence in the precise sense that the !aster si%ni ier is not onl" what %i)es !eanin% to a se.uence, (ut is also the inconsistent !otor o its urther de)elop!ent D the act that these two le)els ne)er actuall" intersect is the (asis o the co!ic& 2

It would (e o(scene to su%%est that si!pl" ha)in% an ironic attitude in tellin% the #o$e is enou%h to suspend this aspect& Yet, there is also so!ethin% dishonest in the wa" political correctness deals with these #o$es, when it re uses to ac$nowled%e their e icac" in the social space& 'he dialectical .uestion to as$ is5 at what point does political correctness coincide with its oppositeH +e should ta$e as an e,a!ple the co!!on enou%h situation in which an i!polite co!!ent slips out durin% con)ersation& -e%ardless o the intentions o the o ender, so!ethin% is trans!itted, an e,trusion which threatens to destro" ci)ilit" itsel & 'hose who eel interpellated (" such co!!ents are o ten e!(arrassed and .uiet, attestin% to the act that the" (ear the surplus the!sel)es& 2owe)er, the polite response ro! the! is not to i%nore such insinuations, (ut rather to ta$e responsi(ilit" or their status as su(#ects, and possi(l" stri$e (ac$& Ane could sa" that, while in nor!al interactions, the (i% Ather can (e relied on to sa)e the unction o ci)ilit", it is in these cases of excessive outburst that it is we who must help it& 1nd it is precisel" since there is nothin% which could deter!ine what is trans!itted (" a #o$e D neither the o(#ecti)e (ac$%round nor su(#ecti)e attitude D that #o$es (elon% to an ethical order& Iolitical correctness ails (ecause it assu!es that si!pl" a)oidin% certain con i%urations o words is enou%h to pre)ent the o ensi)e surplus - in its a)oidance, it perpetuates the power o those con i%urations to %uarantee that one is a(sol)ed ro! responsi(ilit"& 2ere, a (rie passa%e ro! the introduction o ?irst as 'ra%ed", 'hen as ?arce pro)ides a use ul distinction5 /Cac$ in the 19;9s, >acan na!ed the irre%ular short-li)ed periodical o his school Scilicet D the !essa%e was not the word=s predo!inant !eanin% toda" 8/na!el"0, /to wit0, /that is to sa"0<, (ut literall", /it is per!itted to $now0& 8'o $now whatH - what the ?reudian school o Iaris thin$s a(out the unconscious&&&< 'oda", our !essa%e should (e the sa!e5 it is per!itted to $now and to ull" en%a%e in co!!unis!, to a%ain act in ull idelit" to the co!!unist Idea& >i(eral per!issi)eness is o the order o vidilicet - it is per!itted to see, (ut this )er" ascination with the o(scenit" we are allowed to o(ser)e pre)ents us ro! $nowin% what it is that we see&0 8FiGe$ 29995 7< 'o (e /per!itted to see0 is the slo%an o those who alread" $now - the" are authori*ed (" their $nowled%e to see the or(idden - the c"nical realists who not onl" accept the wretchedness o the situation, (ut en#o" watchin% it un old& 'o (e /per!itted to $now0, on the other hand, is the slo%an o those or who! $nowled%e does not authori*e an"thin% - e,cept that it !a$es the! responsi(le& ?or us, this .uestion is the cru, o the concept o trans!ission - Vidilicet wor$s onl" ro! the standpoint that one is allowed to see what others cannot, while Scilicet is a principle o 3

e%alitarian learnin% and sel -discipline& 'he rest o this te,t will (e ocused on this latter concept, and the re.uire!ents it i!poses on the .uestion o trans!ission&

2. Attention and Equalit

In @ac.ues -anciJre=s se!inal wor$ ro! 19;9, The Ignorant Schoolmaster, he e,tracts a series o e!ancipator" lessons ro! the ?rench teacher @acotot=s te,ts on peda%o%ical !ethod& @acotot was a teacher who tau%ht ?le!ish children how to spea$ ?rench, usin% onl" the te,t, Telemachus, which the" studied without an" e,plication o the !aterial& 2e disco)ered that, (" repeatin% a si!ple !ethod o interro%atin% and )eri "in% wor$, one could teach so!ethin% that one doesn=t $now& 'hou%h -anciJre=s te,t, which recounts the lessons o @acotot=s /intellectual ad)enture0, is )er" rich with concepts, two in particular are crucial or our anal"sis, that o /e.ualit" as a startin% point0 and /attention0& 'he irst is the o)erco!in% o stulti ication, which @acotot de ines as the e ect o e,planation o producin% a di)ision (etween superior and in erior intelli%ence& 'hat is, e,planation alwa"s has an ele!ent o in inite re%ress D an e,planation o an o(#ect can alwa"s (e itsel ta$en as an o(#ect re.uirin% urther e,planation& +hat is co!!on to all e,planations is that the teacher $nows !ore and can %au%e the !isunderstandin% in the student D accordin% to @acotot, this ine.ualit" is propa%ated with e)er" e,planation& 2owe)er, as we will show, this stulti ication is not si!pl" the e ect o e,planations, (ut o so!ethin% !uch !ore constituti)e o the act o learnin% itsel & 'he second concept, attention, is /the act that !a$es an intelli%ence proceed under the a(solute constraint o a will0 8-anciJre 19915 25<& +e will criti.ue this use o /will0 (" appealin% to another aspect o the co!ic o(#ect !entioned a(o)e& Aur irst proposition is that co!ed" has an a init" with /e.ualit" as a startin% point0, inso ar as it is anti-stulti "in% (" nature& +e could sa" that, a #o$e cannot (e e,plained, since when it is e,plained, it is no lon%er a #o$e& Cut we also note that a #o$e does not si!pl" (e%in with e.ualit" D prior to the !o!ent o the punchline, the person tellin% the #o$e does occup" a certain pri)ile%ed position& 'he co!ic se.uence, to co!plicate thin%s urther, does not (e%in ro! e.ualit", (ut rather ro! a radicall" une.ual status o the si%ni ier to itsel D there is co!ed" o the 2u #o$e inso ar as there is ne)er a /s"nthesis0 o the opposin% !eanin%s& I it is not the e.ualit" o $nowled%e or !eanin%, what e,actl" is e%alitarian in #o$esH +e turn to 3upan4i4 or a detour which will allow us to %rasp this .uestion5

/>acan introduced his conceptuali*ation o trans erence with a readin% o Ilato=s s"!posiu!, in which he e!phasi*es the notion o agalma, the !"sterious surpluso(#ect, Kso!ethin% in hi!sel !ore than hi!sel ,= that 1lci(iades ascri(es to Socrates& 2e relates this to his concept o the o(#ect a& It is precisel" this treasure, situated in the Ather, that acti)ates the trans erence o $nowled%eL it is, so to spea$, an o(#ecti ied trust, later to (e ollowed (" su(#ecti)e trust& 'he presupposition o the anal"st=s $nowled%e is not e,actl" Ko(#ecti)e= (ut, rather, Ko(#ect-related=, i,ed to an o(#ect D it is K(lind aith= in the o(#ect-cause o the su(#ect=s desire, which is situated in the Ather& Yet in spite o D or perhaps precisel" (ecause o D its (lindness, it unctions in such a wa" that it produces, in anal"sis, real e ects o $nowled%e and truth&0 83upan4i4 29975 8;< So it is clear that, or ps"choanal"sis, the pro(le! o stulti ication is !ore co!plicated D e)er" anal"tic act is preceded (" trans erence D we can sa" its !otor is a desire predicated on a !ista$e& 'hat is, we !a$e the !ista$e o seein% so!ethin% in the anal"st which co!pels us to ollow hi! or her D this o(#ect which causes our desire is our (lindness /o(#ecti)i*ed0 in the world& 'o use our pre)ious e,a!ple, it is Cush=s (lindness to the na!e o the president o Bhina which is ri%ht in ront o us, leadin% us and hi! throu%h the #o$e& 'his (lindness is not si!pl" an aspect o Cush=s character, (ut part o the si%ni ier 2u itsel & >i$ewise, ar ro! (ein% a !atter o the patient=s will, $nowled%e, or an" other personal li!itations, trans erence operates throu%h an objective trust D a trust which pro)ides the distance to wor$ throu%h his or her su(#ecti)e pro(le!s& +e could sa" that anal"sis itsel is structured li$e a #o$e in which the patient is /led (" the nose0 to produce serious e ects on his own su(#ecti)it"& +hat is e%alitarian a(out the anal"tic e,perience is not the e.ualit" o the patient and anal"st D it is not e.ualit" (etween subjects, (ut (etween the patient and his own (lindness& >et=s read a .uote ro! FiGe$ ri%ht a ter he introduces his concept o paralla,5 /Materialis! is not the direct assertion o !" inclusion in o(#ecti)e realit" 8such an assertion presupposes that !" position o enunciation is that o an e,ternal o(ser)er who can %rasp the whole o realit"<L rather, it resides in the re le,i)e twist (" !eans o which I !"sel a! included in the picture constituted (" !e D it is this re le,i)e short circuit, this necessar" redou(lin% o !"sel as standin% (oth inside and outside !" picture, that (ears witness to !" K!aterial e,istence=& Materialis! !eans that the realit" I see is ne)er Kwhole= - not (ecause a lar%e part o it eludes !e, (ut (ecause it contains a stain, a (lind spot, which indicates !" inclusion in it&0 8FiGe$ 29995 17< 'hus, the /paralla, o(#ect0 per!its us to concei)e o a !aterialist theor" o trans!ission that su(tracts itsel ro! the usual distinction (etween $nowled%e and i%norance& +e could sa", in act, that it is knowledge about ignorance which is (ein% trans!itted, and that this $nowled%e is o i%norance %rasped e,ternall", in the ield o s"!(olic deter!inations the!sel)es& ?or 5

e,a!ple, the current ocus o !an" educational institutions is how to assess the use-)alue o $nowled%e so that we can allocate unds appropriatel"& 'o !a$e such a !easure!ent, one !ust presuppose that our (lind spot is si!pl" su(#ecti)e D e&%& we do not $now "et what will (e the deter!inants o a success ul econo!", (ut we esti!ate that it won=t (e !ore trained philosophers& Aur position, on the other hand, is not si!pl" that it is i!possi(le to $now how an education (ene its us, (ut that this )alue-less instance is the )er" oundation o education itsel D a paralla, which an" true conception o trans!ission !ust account or& In his se!inar on an%uish, >acan %i)es an interestin% criti.ue o the wor$ o Iia%et speci icall" one o his e,peri!ents with children that in)ol)ed trans!ission o $nowled%e& 8>acan 19;:5 2;E< 'he e,peri!ent proceeds as ollows5 a child is %i)en a dia%ra! o a tap and a (asin, and is instructed in a sche!atic wa" the unctionin% o this tap& 'he child !ust then repeat what the sche!a la"s out, irst to the e,peri!enter, and then to another child o the sa!e a%e& Iia%et disco)ered that onl" in a .uarter o cases did the child success ull" /reproduce0 the e,planation to another, and secondl", that these e,planations had deteriorated co!pared to the one repeated to the e,peri!enter& 2e concluded that, or children under the a%es o 7 or 8, /the e%o-centric actors o )er(al e,pression 8elliptical st"le, indeter!inate pronouns, etc&< and o understandin% itsel , as well as deri)ati)e actors 8such as lac$ o order, in the accounts %i)en, #u,taposition, etc&< are all too i!portant to allow o an" %enuine understandin% (etween children&0 8Iia%et 19985 12;< >acan=s criti.ue (e%ins (" sa"in% that Iia%et=s e,peri!ent is ounded on the assu!ption that the word is !eant to co!!unicate& ?or >acan, on the other hand, words are !eant to e)o$e si%ni ication in the su(#ect D that is, the" e)o$e understandin% at the le)el o the (od" itsel & >acan sa"s, in a sli%ht detour to his !ain anal"sis, that i Iia%et had properl" told a !"th to a child, there would (e no entrop" or /wasta%e0 in the reproduction to another child& 2e then points out that, in the case o the e,planation o the tap, the aspect which was success ull" trans!itted 8he cites the e,planation the child %i)es here< had to do with the act that the tap could (e turned o and that the (asin which recei)ed the water would there ore not o)er low& 8>acan 19;:5 2;7< >acan interprets this in a )er" interestin% wa", na!el" that the tap unctions at the le)el o the phallus or the child D it e)o$es so!ethin% o desire at the le)el where it is stuc$, not lowin%& +hat Iia%et !isses is that, or the child, what is essential is that the tap is hi%hli%hted (" what it does not do D it does not !a$e the (asin o)er low D and that the child=s desire to $now this is co!!ensurate with what is e)o$ed (" Iia%et=s own desire to test the child& 'o sa" that desire is the desire o the Ather is to sa" that there is unda!entall" an indistinction 6

(etween the child=s desire to (e reco%ni*ed (" the Ather and the Ather=s desire itsel & In other words, we ha)e desire onl" where there is castration, the ps"choanal"tic ter! or the i!possi(ilit" o ha)in% a desire untainted (" otherness& +e can there ore di erentiate trans!ission ro! co!!unication in that the $e" ele!ent in the or!er is not a !essa%e, (ut so!ethin% rather li$e a %ap or !al unction in the order o !essa%es& ?urther!ore, >acan hi!sel poses a .uestion which echoes and answers to the /in inite re%ress0 o @acotot=s de inition o stulti ication D that is, i education depends on co!!unication .ua unction o lan%ua%e, then how is lan%ua%e itsel ac.uiredH 8>acan 19;:5 2;8< It is clear ro! >acan=s anal"sis o Iia%et that a notion o lan%ua%e which does not account or the deadloc$ o desire %oes hand in hand with instinctual de)elop!ent& 'he >acanian solution, rather, is to concei)e o the entrance o the word into the (od" as the introduction o castration D what occurs in the case o the child is the incidence on his (od" (" the /not0 o the tap D a /not0 which (estows reco%nition (" the Ather& 'hus, we can sa" that the ps"choanal"tic supple!ent to the pro(le! o stulti ication is that castration is the constitutive stultification o the su(#ect (" lan%ua%e itsel D the desire which de ines our internal su(#ecti)it" is onl" possi(le with the disappearance o its o(#ect ro! the e,ternal world& 2owe)er, this o(#ect does, in act, return D in the or! o an%uish& 'he (asic .uestion which !ust (e posed to @acotot is this5 wh" does e,planation pro)o$e understandin% in so!e and stulti ication in othersH ?ollowin% >acan=s de inition o an%uish as the lac$ which co!es to lac$, we could sa" that an%uish occurs or a student not when he or she is una(le to understand so!ethin%, (ut, rather when there is no space or a lac$ in understandin%& /Bonstituted stulti ication0, opposed to the constituti)e, does not si!pl" occur when a child recei)es an e,planation which rein orces his or her lac$, (ut rather when the space or lac$ itsel is threatened to (e erased& Ane can cite instances where a child is !easured and classi ied at an earl" a%e as either /%i ted0 or /slow0 D such a procedure !a" ser)e to co)er up castration inso ar as it displaces the responsi(ilit" o the child=s desire to the teacher& Cut it does not su ice to criti.ue the concept o intelli%ence (" clai!in% that it is a product o our !easurin% apparatus D such a criti.ue would onl" urther displace responsi(ilit" D what is re.uired instead is a thorou%h denaturalization o learnin%&

!. T"ree #igures of Transmission

'he irst step in such a pro#ect is to e,a!ine the ori%in o learnin%& 1s we ha)e said, the >acanian theor" o trans!ission is (ased upon a concept o lan%ua%e that includes i!possi(ilit"& +e ha)e used se)eral ter!s interchan%ea(l" re%ardin% this i!possi(ilit" D 7

castration, !al unction, stulti ication, lac$, and so on D which raises the o()ious .uestion5 how do these ter!s, which see! to (e )ersions o /cannot0, lead to learnin%H 'he Aedipus co!ple,, as ?reud ori%inall" concei)ed it, in)ol)ed three ter!s5 the ather, !other, and child D the incestuous desires o the child or the !other are prohi(ited (" the ather& Cut >acan showed that there is an in)ersion at pla" in this prohi(ition D it is not that, irst the child desires and then the prohi(ition co!es, (ut rather that the castration, in the or! o prohi(ition, creates the space or desirin% as such& >acan also proposed, throu%h an anal"sis o ?reud=s case stud" o the -at Man, that a ourth ter! - which is present as )anished - pre)ents the ather ro! ul illin% his unction& 8>acan 19795 :91< E)er" prohi(ition produces an e,cess, which in a )er" precise sense, elides it5 one can #ust as well en#o" the renunciation o the o(#ect o desire as the o(#ect itsel D this is the (asic lo%ic proper to ?reud=s death dri)e& +hat we ha)e called constituti)e stulti ication is thus not the end o the stor" D it is the startin% point ro! which the lo%ic o the dri)e, with all its re)ersals, can (e articulated& 'he irst tas$ then, or (oth ps"choanal"sts and educators, is to locate and !a$e use o such !o!ents& M"ths were or ?reud and >acan a irst atte!pt at this D since the" dealt with the ori%ins not si!pl" in a actual wa", (ut throu%h a !etaphoric preser)ation o the /not0 at the core o $nowled%e, which is in knowledge more than knowledge, to turn a phrase ro! >acan& 'his e,cess in $nowled%e is itsel un$nowa(le, and this is precisel" what opens the ethical di!ension D one could sa", to not or%et what we cannot $now& ?or ps"choanal"sis, it is not si!pl" a !atter o disco)erin% the ori%inal Bause o the s"!pto!, (ut that this Bause itsel , and its deter!inin% in luence, is disrupted ro! within (" its own anti-episte!olo%ical $ernel& 'he repetition o the Aedipal co!ple, is thus alwa"s a ailed repetition - a neurotic is not si!pl" doo!ed to repeat his /indi)idual !"th0, (ut that, due to the wor$ o the death dri)e, his repetition itsel constructs what it repeats& 'he !"th which ser)es as the constellation o this repetition, a !etaphor o the Bause, is the ori%inal or! o an" trans!ission& +e can thus sa" it constitutes an idea of origin& I this allows us to articulate the ori%ins o learnin%, the >acanian notion o the !athe!e can help us %rasp its ulti!ate ends& ?ranNois -e%nault points out two interestin% acts5 irst, in ps"choanal"sis there are no (orderline cases D in his words, /a case is an e,ception to the law that it (elon%s to0& 'here is no ideal neurosis, or e,a!ple, in which all neurotics as"!ptoticall" approach& Second, >acan 8al!ost< ne)er presented cases in his pu(lished se!inars or ecrits D -e%nault o ers a h"pothesis re%ardin% this5 +hereas the ?reudian !ethod see!s to %o orward ro! the sin%ular to the uni)ersal, >acan=s !ethod consists in $eepin% to%ether the a(solute sin%ularit" o the case and the 8

le)el o uni)ersalit", which is an e.uation, or what he calls a !athe!e& 8-e%nault 19915 E7< In other words, the !athe!e stands in or the case studies o ?reud D the" are or!ulas which present what is sin%ular in a case& In this sense, !athe!es constitute an idea of exception which resides at a certain li!it o or!ali*ation o one=s own tra#ector" in anal"sis& General properties such as will, deter!ination, or intelli%ence are disre%arded (" these or!ulas D what is essential in a case is not a trait which !i%ht assi%n it to a class, (ut that which su(tracts it ro! all classes5 desire& In the e,a!ple o the tap, what was o interest to the child was that it could (e shut o , a act which cannot ail to e)o$e the properl" ethical tas$ o a child D it is inso ar as the tap is a !etaphor or the child=s own stru%%le to (e the /not0 o his uni)erse that it is o interest, that it can elicit desire& Cut this tap !ust also (e i!(ued with so!ethin% o the Ather=s desire as well D Iia%et=s desire to $now i the child can co!!unicate li$e an adult, or e,a!ple& >acan=s point is that Iia%et hi!sel couldn=t reco%ni*e the re lection o his own desire in the desire o the child D the o)erlap o each elides !easure!ent inso ar as desire is alwa"s an e,ception& 1nd, to recall our discussion a(o)e re%ardin% -anciJre=s /startin% point0, we can sa" now that #o$es constitute an idea o e.ualit"& +hat is at sta$e in this e.ualit" is not a ri%ht to learn, (ut a per!ission to $now D and, %i)en the three conceptuali*ations o the o(#ect, we can answer a latent .uestion re%ardin% the doctrine o Scilicet5 na!el", who is it that per!its usH It is neither the stulti "in% !aster, nor the (i% Ather, (ut what FiGe$ na!es the tic$lin% o(#ect& More precisel", the answer to who per!its us isO 2uP

$. A %et"odolog
+hat does this triad o ideas D ori%in, e,ception, e.ualit" D and the tic$lin% o(#ect o er us as re%ards to a possi(le !ethodolo%", which we pro!ised at the (e%innin% o the te,tH +e o er an e,a!ple which we hope will (oth clari " the triad at pla" and also lin$ the co!edic se.uence !entioned a(o)e to a !ethod& 'his e,a!ple #ust so happens to also (e Bhinese-the!ed5 (" ar the !ost co!!on !oti in $un%- u il!s is that o the "oun% student who )isits a !aster ea%erl" "earnin% to learn !artial arts 8usuall" to a)en%e his a!il"<& +hat the student recei)es instead is a series o !eanin%less tas$s that see! to onl" ree up the !aster=s leisure ti!e5 carr"in% water up and down the !ountain steps, coo$in% and cleanin% the house, %ettin% rid o !os.uitoes, etc& 1t irst, the student ta$es this in %ood hu!or, thin$in% it to (e so!e sort o test o his sincerit"& Ine)ita(l" thou%h, his patience is pushed too ar, and he co!plains irritatin%l" that he ca!e to learn how to i%ht, not to do chores& +hereupon the !aster attac$s hi!, and he 9

disco)ers that the household s$ills he had unwittin%l" honed was itsel the !artial arts he had hoped to ac.uire& Does this e,a!ple not ha)e the structure o a co!edic se.uence, inso ar as the proper $nowled%e to (e sou%ht was alread" in the )er" !isreco%ni*ed path to $nowled%eH +hat should (e added, howe)er, is that this /paralla, shi t0 also occurs or the !aster hi!sel D he is i%norant o the e ects o his own teachin%& Ane could i!a%ine that the !aster was #ust tr"in% to hu!or the student and also %et so!e o his household cleanin% done or ree& +e could e)en sa" that it is not his !ethod which trans!its the $nowled%e, (ut the student=s - a !ethod which teaches precisel" (" disruptin% the $nown D na!el", his s"!pto!& Ierhaps this is the proper answer to those who co!plain that philosophers do not pro)ide an" solutions to our current predica!ent& +hat the" percei)e as a series o !eanin%less tas$s - clari "in% .uestions, in)entin% new ter!s, re-readin% classic te,ts D is alread" the philosophical $un%- u we need& +hat is trul" trans!itted throu%h these e orts is the $nowled%e that the !aster does not e,ist to sol)e our pro(le!s, (ut is the )er" na!e or how we !isreco%ni*e the!&

&eferences
>acan, @& 819;:< Seminar X: nguish, trans& (" Bor!ac Galla%her, a)aila(le at5 http5QQwww&lacaninireland&co!Qwe(QHpa%eRidS12: >acan, @& 81979< The !eurotic"s Individual #$th, trans& (" Martha Noel E)ans, Is"choanal"tic Tuarterl", )ol& E8, :5 :8;-E25& Iia%et, @& 81998< The %anguage and Thought of the &hild, >ondon5 Is"cholo%" Iress& -anciJre, @& 81991< The Ignorant Schoolmaster, Stan ord5 Stan ord Uni)ersit" Iress& -e%nault, ?& 81991< %acan and 'xperience, in 1& >eupin 8ed<, >acan and the 2u!an Sciences, >incoln5 Uni)ersit" o Ne(ras$a Iress& FiGe$, S& 82999< The (arallax View, Ba!(rid%e5 MI' Iress& FiGe$, S& 82999< )irst as Traged$* Then as )arce, New Yor$5 Verso& 3upan4i4, 1& 82998< The +dd +ne In, Ba!(rid%e5 MI' Iress&

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A''endi(
2u=s on ?irst @a!es Sher!an 8+e ta$e "ou now to the A)al A ice< Geor%e5 BondiP Nice to see "ou& +hatWs happenin%H Bondi5 Sir, I ha)e the report here a(out the new leader o Bhina& Geor%e5 Great& >a" it on !e& Bondi5 2u is the new leader o Bhina& Geor%e5 'hatWs what I want to $now& Bondi5 'hatWs what IW! tellin% "ou& Geor%e5 'hatWs what IW! as$in% "ou& +ho is the new leader o BhinaH Bondi5 Yes& Geor%e5 I !ean the ellowWs na!e& Bondi5 2u& Geor%e5 'he %u" in Bhina& Bondi5 2u& Geor%e5 'he new leader o Bhina& Bondi5 2u& Geor%e5 'he Bhina!anP Bondi5 2u is leadin% Bhina& Geor%e5 Now whadd"aW as$in% !e orH Bondi5 IW! tellin% "ou 2u is leadin% Bhina& Geor%e5 +ell, IW! as$in% "ou& +ho is leadin% BhinaH Bondi5 'hatWs the !anWs na!e& Geor%e5 'hatWs whoWs na!eH Bondi5 Yes& Geor%e5 +ill "ou or will "ou not tell !e the na!e o the new leader o BhinaH Bondi5 Yes, sir& Geor%e5 YasserH Yasser 1ra at is in BhinaH I thou%ht he was in the Middle East& Bondi5 'hatWs correct& Geor%e5 'hen who is in BhinaH Bondi5 Yes, sir& Geor%e5 Yasser is in BhinaH Bondi5 No, sir& Geor%e5 'hen who isH Bondi5 Yes, sir& Geor%e5 YasserH Bondi5 No, sir& Geor%e5 >oo$, Bondi& I need to $now the na!e o the new leader o Bhina& Get !e the secretar"-%eneral o the U&N& on the phone& Bondi5 Xo iH Geor%e5 No, than$s& Bondi5 You want Xo iH Geor%e5 No& Bondi5 You donWt want Xo i& Geor%e5 No& Cut now that "ou !ention it, I could use a %lass o !il$& 1nd then %et !e the U&N& Bondi5 Yes, sir& 11

Geor%e5 Not YasserP 'he %u" at the U&N& Bondi5 Xo iH Geor%e5 Mil$P +ill "ou please !a$e the callH Bondi5 1nd call whoH Geor%e5 +ho is the %u" at the U&N&H Bondi5 2u is the %u" in Bhina& Geor%e5 +ill "ou sta" out o BhinaHP Bondi5 Yes, sir& Geor%e5 1nd sta" out o the Middle EastP @ust %et !e the %u" at the U&N& Bondi5 Xo i& Geor%e5 1ll ri%htP +ith crea! and two su%ars& Now %et on the phone& 8Bondi pic$s up the phone< Bondi5 -ice, here& Geor%e5 -iceH Good idea& 1nd a couple o e%% rolls, too& Ma"(e we should send so!e to the %u" in Bhina& 1nd the Middle East& Ban "ou %et Bhinese ood in the Middle EastH

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