Why Theory Seminar X: Anxiety
53 snips
Jan 5, 2025 Ryan and Todd dive into Jacques Lacan's Seminar X, unpacking the intriguing concept of the objet a and its ties to anxiety. They cleverly juxtapose Lacan’s views on anxiety against existentialism, especially through Kafka’s literature and cinematic soundscapes. The conversation explores the philosophical dimensions of nothingness, desire, and sacrifice, revealing how absence shapes our emotional experiences. They also highlight how music and sound elevate anxiety in film, intertwining art and philosophy in a captivating narrative.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Lacan's Redefinition of Anxiety
- Lacan redefines anxiety as not objectless, but directed at the objet a.
- This objet a is insubstantial, and anxiety arises from its overwhelming presence.
Lacan's Anxiety vs. Existentialism
- Lacan differentiates anxiety from existentialists like Sartre and Heidegger.
- For Lacan, anxiety stems from an overwhelming "too muchness" of the world, not nothingness.
Examples of Lacanian Anxiety
- Todd McGowan uses the film Safe and the image of a smothering mother to illustrate Lacan's anxiety.
- It's the feeling of being overwhelmed by the other's over-presence.