Naslov
Contemporary social link in psychoanalysis and Foucault’s discourse analysis

Autori
Krce-Ivančić, Matko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
7th Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis Across Disciplines Conference

Mjesto i datum
Aalborg University, Aalborg, Danska, 03-06.07.2018

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
discourse ; Foucault ; neoliberalism ; psychoanalysis ; social link

Sažetak
In contemporary political theory there is a widespread understanding according to which the social link that would bind us together - thereby constituting society - has weakened due to neoliberal values. This paper argues against such reasoning, showing that the social link has significantly changed, but has by no means weakened. Quite on the contrary, it seems to be rather strong. Analysing neoliberal discourse, Foucault (2008: 286) claimed that, for the neoliberals, ''economics must not be and there is no question that it can be the governmental rationality itself. [...] What will government be concerned with if the economic process, and the whole of the economic process, is not in principle its object? I think it is the theory of civil society.'' In addition to this overlooked claim, Foucault (2008: 301-304) argued that neoliberal (civil) society presents ''a distinct interplay of non-egoist, disinterested interests [...] a de facto bond which links different concrete individuals to each other'', thus exercising caution in reducing neoliberal discourse merely to economic egoism. In order to extend Foucault's analysis of neoliberal discourse, I engage with Lacanian psychoanalysis. Examining the big Other, nowadays basically represented by neoliberal symbolic order, Zupančić (2014: 53) claims that ''the existence of the multiplicity of individuals as solipsistic islands of enjoyment is precisely the form of existence of the contemporary social link.'' She explains such condition by the inability of neoliberal subjects to recognise a 'small' other as an instance of the big Other, as no concrete person is considered to be worthy of such respect, finally asking ''should we not see and recognize here a rather spectacular operation of saving the big Other?'' (Zupančić, 2014: 55). Thus, we, as neoliberal subjects, are bounded by maintaining neoliberal values and constitute a particular form of society, namely neoliberal society. Connecting Foucault's discourse analysis of neoliberalism and theoretical psychoanalysis, this paper makes further efforts in recognising the character of contemporary social link, emphasising the importance of reclaiming the notion of society in the field of discourse analysis and, more broadly, in political theory. References: Foucault, M. (2008) The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978-79, Senellart, M. (ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Zupančić, A. (2008) Why Psychoanalysis? Three Interventions. Copenhagen: NSU Press

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Sociologija

Napomena
Ustanova: University of Manchester, Manchester,
Velika Britanija. Ovaj rad podupiru: ‘President’s
Doctoral Scholar Award’ i ‘School of Social
Sciences PhD Studentship’ (dodjeljuje: Sociology,
School of Social Sciences, University of
Manchester), i ‘Economic and Social Sciences
Research Council North West Doctoral Training
Centre Studentship [grant number ES/J500094/1]’.

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