What's in a Name?

by Mladen Dolar

A name always bears a symbolic mandate. As soon as false pretenders appear, questions arise as to the symbolic mandateÕs power, its validity and justification. Names refer to genealogies, yet thereby always involve a certain distribution of power. To arrogate a name is to arrogate power. There is a claim to power in every name, in assuming the social role that goes with it, in transmitting symbolic legacy, in social impact, in genealogical inscription. The story of false pretenders entails the moment of bemusement Ð oneÕs feeling that, really, one is always a false pretender, as thereÕs no way one could inhabit a name legitimately, naturally, feeling fully justified bearing the name one bears. No sufficient grounds can ever substantiate it; no name is ever covered by the Leibnizian principle of sufficient reason. The feeling of being an impostor, false pretender to a name, isnÕt personal sentiment or idiosyncrasy; itÕs a structural feeling accompanying names Ð their shadow and effect.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Nonfiction, Essays

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Mladen Dolar is a Slovene philosopher, psychoanalyst, cultural theorist and film critic. Dolar was born in Maribor as the son of the literary critic Jaro Dolar.

Reviews

[Owlseyes]

Adam named the animals. Freud took special care in naming his six children*. In 2007, three Slovenian men (Davide Grassi, Emil Hrvatin, and Ziga Kariz) succeeded in changing their names to one and common name: Janez Janša. Those 3 took on the name of the then-PM: Janez Janša. Those 3 had been members of the political party of Janez Janša. Now, they're quite popular; they're even a brand; and "they" got married. What are the implications?


(Prime Minister)

(Party members)





(3 in 1)

So, as in Plato's "Cratylus": what's in a name? Is it based on nature or convention? OR...?
(Mind you, the work of Plato had as subtitle -On the correctness of names).

"If names had been given by some divine instance, by gods, where does the name for gods come from? why are gods called gods?

The artists' project was Platonic in its assumptions, and so was the reaction. The Janša's party, SDS (Slovene Democratic Party) was highly disconcerted by this move ...why would they fear the copies of the copy?"

*"I had insisted on their names [my children] being chosen not according to the fashion of the moment, but in memory of people I have been fond of. Their names made the children into revenants. And after all, I reflected, was not having children our own path to immortality?"

[Dante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short book consumed accidentally in a sitting ; selected randomly from a dubious critical theory site with stolen PDF torrents. Engaging, interesting and strangely thought-provoking read. Yet I am not sure I can provide a name to these thoughts; no Name of the Father to be found here.