Lacan and Badiou: Philosophy and Antiphilosophy

Abstract

This article attempts to shed light upon the relationship between Jacques Lacan and Alain Badiou from the perspective of philosophy and antiphilosophy. According to Badiou, the history of Western thought is constituted by the ceaseless dialogue between philosophy and antiphilosophy. It is well-known that Badiou elaborated on his philosophy through the critical dialogue with Lacanian psychoanalysis. In Lacan: Anti-Philosophy 3, Badiou addresses Lacan through the lens of antiphilosophy. According to Badiou, Lacanian antiphilosophy deposes the authority of philosophical truth, discloses the philosophical operation, and presents his analytic act against the philosophical operation. However, Lacan himself used the term “antiphilosophy” only twice in his entire intellectual itinerary. Moreover, he did not leave any systematic discussion about his antiphilosophy. How can one address Lacan’s position regarding philosophy and antiphilosophy, then? This article engages with this question. The author first reviews the main points of Lacanian antiphilosophy as presented by Badiou, classifies Lacan’s extensive and inconsistent comments on philosophy, and shows how Lacan and Badiou have an interlaced relationship, which cannot be reduced to the simple antagonism “philosophy vs. antiphilosophy.” This will not only serve as a critical reading of the Badiouian version of Lacanian antiphilosophy but also contribute to the exploration of the relationship between Lacan and Badiou, philosophy and antiphilosophy.