Name: Abhishek

Roll no: 20/22418

Course: Ba (hons) English
Semester: 6th

Question: Discuss Irigaray's critique of the Freudian Lacanian model of Sexual Identity as "male
Homosexuality "

Answer :- Luce Irigaray, a feminist philosopher, was critical of the Freudian Lacanian model of sexual
identity, which she believed promoted male homosexuality as the norm and excluded women and other
forms of sexuality. Irigaray argued that this model was based on a patriarchal framework that privileged
the male perspective and viewed women as passive and lacking subjectivity.

The Freudian Lacanian model of sexual identity views sexual desire as fundamentally male, and assumes
that women lack subjectivity. Sigmund Freud believed that female sexuality was inferior to male sexuality
because women were biologically incomplete and suffered from penis envy. Jacques Lacan, a French
psychoanalyst, expanded on Freud's ideas and argued that sexual desire was fundamentally male and that
women were objects of male desire.

Irigaray's critique of the Freudian Lacanian model of sexual identity was based on several key points. First,
she argued that this model ignored the diversity of human sexuality and reduced it to a simple binary
opposition between male and female. This view ignored the complexity of human sexuality and reduced it
to a simplistic, phallocentric view of the body that defined sexuality based on genital difference and
focused on the penis as the defining characteristic of male sexuality.

Second, Irigaray argued that this model reinforced gender stereotypes that limited people's sexual
expression and marginalized women and other forms of sexuality. The model assumed that sexual desire
was fundamentally male, and that women were passive objects of male desire. This view reduced women
to their biological function as reproductive machines and ignored the importance of female subjectivity in
the construction of sexual identity.

Third, Irigaray argued that this model was based on a patriarchal framework that privileged the male
perspective and excluded women and other forms of sexuality. The model was developed by men, for
men, and assumed that male sexuality was the norm. Women were viewed as passive objects of male
desire, and other forms of sexuality were marginalized or ignored altogether.

To counter these criticisms, Irigaray proposed a new model of sexual identity that recognized the diversity
of human sexuality and the importance of both male and female subjectivity. This model required a
fundamental rethinking of our cultural norms and values around gender and sexuality.

According to Irigaray, this new model of sexual identity required a mutual recognition of difference that
allowed for the expression of different forms of desire and pleasure. This approach required a recognition
of the importance of female subjectivity in the construction of sexual identity.

Irigaray believed that this new model of sexual identity would require a fundamental rethinking of our
cultural norms and values around gender and sexuality. This would require challenging gender stereotypes
and promoting equality between men and women. It would also require recognizing the importance of
different forms of sexuality and promoting an inclusive and diverse view of sexuality.
To achieve this, Irigaray suggested several strategies. First, she argued that we needed to challenge gender
stereotypes and promote equality between men and women. This would involve challenging the notion
that women are inferior to men, and recognizing the importance of female subjectivity in the construction
of sexual identity.

Second, Irigaray suggested that we needed to recognize the importance of different forms of sexuality and
promote an inclusive and diverse view of sexuality. This would involve recognizing the existence of
different forms of desire and pleasure and promoting a culture that accepted and celebrated these
differences.

Third, Irigaray argued that we needed to challenge the patriarchal framework that underlies the Freudian
Lacanian model of sexual identity. This would involve recognizing the role of power in shaping our cultural
norms and values around gender and sexuality, and promoting a culture that valued difference and
diversity.

In conclusion,
Luce Irigaray was critical of the Freudian Lacanian model of sexual identity because she believed it was
based on a patriarchal framework that marginalized women and other forms of sexuality. She suggested a
new model of sexual identity