Pleasure vs. Desire: Towards the Feminist Road of Catherine Malabou

Abstract

This paper considers the male-dominated philosophical traditions that have failed to adequately explicate the philosophical concept of desire. From psychoanalysis to Deleuze and Guattari, these traditions conceptualized desire as lack, loss, or a formless force. However, the feminist viewpoint proves these theories were inconsistent with and unaware of feminist interests. Therefore, the paper will posit that Catherine Malabou’s philosophy of pleasure has the capacity to dismantle the phallic economy and propose novel, plastic ways of perceiving femininity.