Lacan's Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis

by Roberto Harari

The informal tone of these ten lectures by Roberto Harari reflects their original character as classes held at El Centro de Extension Psicoanalitica del Centro Cultural General, San Martin Buenos Aires. Destined for a wider audience than just the psychoanalytical camp, Harari's work presents the Lacanian endeavor without presupposition of specialized knowledge—and yet without conceding intellectual subtlety.

Harari provides an introductory display of essential themes developed in Lacan's Four Fundamental Concepts of Psychoanalysis , and offers his own insightful reading of the text's central ideas. These ten classes, sparked by the crucial Seminar XI within the teaching of Lacan, reframe a wide range of questions in psychoanalysis for the professional in the field, scholars and students across disciplines, and interested lay readers.

Harari is so at ease with Lacan's oeuvre that he can dismantle and rebuild its structure so that order and logic suddenly appear inherent to Lacan's way of thinking. The unconscious, transference, repetition, and the drive are here reintroduced, not only to do justice to Freud's insights, but also to link these concepts to the larger question of the complex relationships between psychoanalysis, religion, and science. Harari's didactic approach and his analytic style come together to bring us one step closer to understanding Lacan and one step closer to understanding ourselves.

Genres: Psychoanalysis, Philosophy

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2004

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot review, as too much time has passed, but Harari is as valuable and resourceful an interlocutor as he was with S.X. He not only explains, he expands.

[Miguel Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este año fue ocasión de releer el seminario 11 de Lacan, sobre los cuatro conceptos fundamentales del psicoanálisis, pero esta vez para estar al frente de la clase. Para encarar tan complicada tarea, un buen amigo me hizo favor de prestarme este libro de "Introducción", que fue, a lo largo de todo el semestre, mi leal compañero para la preparación de mis clases sobre el seminario.

Me sucedió un fenómeno que he experimentado antes, pero creo que nunca antes con tanta claridad: la relectura del texto me fue más clara, pero con este compañero, fue mucho mejor, pues de cada lección encontre un excelente complemento en la aguda síntesis de Harari. Creo que sin ello, la labor hubiera sido infinitamente más complicada.

[Oskar Henriksson]

An invaluable guide to the reading of Lacan, Harari helps to shine light on a lot of obscure but profound meaning found in the original work. Meant to be read along with Lacan, not as a replacement. Cannot really be rated as it's not a work in-and-of itself.