Another take on science....
JBCM2@aol.com
JBCM2 at aol.com
Wed, 9 Apr 2003 17:20:14 EDT
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["]The field [of desire] that is ours by reason of the fact that we
are exploring it is going to be in one way of another the object of a
science. And, you are going to ask me, will this science of desire belong to
the field of the human sciences?
Before leaving you this year, I would like to make my position on
the subject very clear. I do not think, given the way that field is being
laid out, and I assure you it is being done carefully, that it will amount to
anything else but a systematic and fundamental misunderstanding of everything
that has to do with the whole affair that I have been discussing here. The
fields of inquiry that are being outlined as necessarily belonging to the
human sciences have in my eyes no other function than to form a branch of the
service of goods, which is no doubt advantageous through of limited value.
Those fields are in other words a branch of the service of those powers that
are more than a little precarious. In any case, implied here is a no less
systematic misunderstanding of all the violent phenomena that reveal that the
path of triumph of goods in our world is not likely to be a smooth one.
In other words, in the phrase of one of the exceptional politicians
who has functioned as a leader of France, Mazarin, politics is politics, but
love always remains love.
As for the kind of science that might be situated in that place I
have designated as the place of desire, what can it be? Well, you don't have
to look very far. As far as science is concerned, the kind that is presently
occupying the place of desire is quite simply what we commonly call science,
the kind that you see cantering gaily along and accomplishing all kinds of
so-called physical conquests.
I think that throughout this historical period the desire of man,
which has been felt, anesthetized, put to sleep by moralists, domesticated by
educators, betrayed by the academies, has quite simply taken refuge or been
repressed in that most subtle and blindest of passions, as the story of
Oedipus shows, the passion for knowledge. That's the passion that is
currently going great guns and is far from having said its last word.
One of the most amusing features of the history of science is to be
found in the propaganda scientists and alchemists have addressed to the
powers that be at a time when they were beginning to run out of steam. it
went as follows: "Give us money; you don't realize that if you gave us a
little money, we would be able to put all kinds of machines, gadgets and
contraptions at your service." How could the powers let themselves be taken
in? The answer to the question is to be found in a certain breakdown of
wisdom. It's a fact that they did let themselves be taken in, that science
got its money, as a consequence of which we are left with this vengeance.
It's a fascinating thing, but as far as those who are at the forefront of
science are concerned, they are not without a keen consciousness of the fact
that they have their backs against a wall of hate. They are themselves
capsized by the turbulent swell of a heavy sense of guilt. But that isn't
very important because it's not in truth an adventure that Mr. Oppenheimer's
remorse can put an end to overnight. It is moreover there where the problem
of desire will lie in the future.
The universal order has to deal with the problem of what it should
do with that science in which something is going on whose nature escapes it.
Science, which occupies the place of desire, can only be a science of desire
in the form of an enormous question mark; and this is doubtless not without a
structural cause. In other words, science is animated by some mysterious
desire, but it doesn't know, any more than anything in the unconscious
itself, what that desire means. The future will reveal it to us, and perhaps
among those who by the grace of God have most recently eaten the book -- I
mean those who have written with their labors, indeed with their blood, the
book of Western science. It, too, is an edible book.["]
Jacques Lacan
The Ethics of Psychoanalysis 1959-1960
The Seminar of Jacques Lacan
Book Vll
pp. 324/5
Norton, 1992
(Originally published in French as
L'ethique de la psychanalyse, 1959-60
By Les Editions du Seuil, Paris, 1986
They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal the goose from off the common,
But let the greater villain loose
That steals the common from the goose.
Constant apprehension of war has the same tendency
to render the head too large for the body. A standing military
force with an overgrown executive will not long be safe.
companions to liberty. -- Thomas Jefferson
"America is a quarter of a billion people totally misinformed and disinformed
by their government. This is tragic but our media is -- I wouldn't even say
corrupt -- it's just beyond telling us anything that the government doesn't
want us to know."
Gore Vidal
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["]The field [of desire] that is ours by reason of the fact that we are exp=
loring it is going to be in one way of another the object of a science. =
; And, you are going to ask me, will this science of desire belong to the fi=
eld of the human sciences?<BR>
Before leaving you this yea=
r, I would like to make my position on the subject very clear. I do no=
t think, given the way that field is being laid out, and I assure you it is=20=
being done carefully, that it will amount to anything else but a systematic=20=
and fundamental misunderstanding of everything that has to do with the whole=
affair that I have been discussing here. The fields of inquiry that a=
re being outlined as necessarily belonging to the human sciences have in my=20=
eyes no other function than to form a branch of the service of goods, which=20=
is no doubt advantageous through of limited value. Those fields are in=
other words a branch of the service of those powers that are more than a li=
ttle precarious. In any case, implied here is a no less systematic mis=
understanding of all the violent phenomena that reveal that the path of triu=
mph of goods in our world is not likely to be a smooth one.<BR>
In other words, in the phra=
se of one of the exceptional politicians who has functioned as a leader of F=
rance, Mazarin, politics is politics, but love always remains love.<BR>
As for the kind of science=20=
that might be situated in that place I have designated as the place of desir=
e, what can it be? Well, you don't have to look very far. As far=
as science is concerned, the kind that is presently occupying the place of=20=
desire is quite simply what we commonly call science, the kind that you see=20=
cantering gaily along and accomplishing all kinds of so-called physical conq=
uests.<BR>
I think that throughout thi=
s historical period the desire of man, which has been felt, anesthetized, pu=
t to sleep by moralists, domesticated by educators, betrayed by the academie=
s, has quite simply taken refuge or been repressed in that most subtle and b=
lindest of passions, as the story of Oedipus shows, the passion for knowledg=
e. That's the passion that is currently going great guns and is far fr=
om having said its last word.<BR>
One of the most amusing fea=
tures of the history of science is to be found in the propaganda scientists=20=
and alchemists have addressed to the powers that be at a time when they were=
beginning to run out of steam. it went as follows: "Give us mon=
ey; you don't realize that if you gave us a little money, we would be able t=
o put all kinds of machines, gadgets and contraptions at your service." =
; How could the powers let themselves be taken in? The answer to the q=
uestion is to be found in a certain breakdown of wisdom. It's a fact t=
hat they did let themselves be taken in, that science got its money, as a co=
nsequence of which we are left with this vengeance. It's a fascinating=
thing, but as far as those who are at the forefront of science are concerne=
d, they are not without a keen consciousness of the fact that they have thei=
r backs against a wall of hate. They are themselves capsized by the tu=
rbulent swell of a heavy sense of guilt. But that isn't very important=
because it's not in truth an adventure that Mr. Oppenheimer's remorse can p=
ut an end to overnight. It is moreover there where the problem of desi=
re will lie in the future.<BR>
The universal order has to=20=
deal with the problem of what it should do with that science in which someth=
ing is going on whose nature escapes it. Science, which occupies the p=
lace of desire, can only be a science of desire in the form of an enormous q=
uestion mark; and this is doubtless not without a structural cause. In=
other words, science is animated by some mysterious desire, but it doesn't=20=
know, any more than anything in the unconscious itself, what that desire mea=
ns. The future will reveal it to us, and perhaps among those who by th=
e grace of God have most recently eaten the book -- I mean those who have wr=
itten with their labors, indeed with their blood, the book of Western scienc=
e. It, too, is an edible book.["]<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2=
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Jacques Lacan<BR>
The Ethics of Psychoanalysis 1959-1960<BR>
The Seminar of Jacques Lacan<BR>
Book Vll<BR>
pp. 324/5<BR>
Norton, 1992<BR>
<BR>
(Originally published in French as<BR>
<I>L'ethique de la psychanalyse</I>, 1959-60<BR>
By Les Editions du Seuil, Paris, 1986<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3=
FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0"><I><BR>
<BR>
They hang the man and flog the woman<BR>
That steal the goose from off the common,<BR>
But let the greater villain loose<BR>
That steals the common from the goose. <BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2=
FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
Constant apprehension of war has the same tendency<BR>
to render the head too large for the body. A standing military <BR>
force with an overgrown executive will not long be safe. <BR>
companions to liberty. -- Thomas Jefferson<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3=
FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2=
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"></I>"America is a quarter of=
a billion people totally misinformed and disinformed by their government. T=
his is tragic but our media is -- I wouldn't even say corrupt -- it's just b=
eyond telling us anything that the government doesn't want us to know." <BR>
<BR>
Gore Vidal<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3=
FAMILY=3D"SERIF" FACE=3D"times new roman" LANG=3D"0"><I><BR>
<BR>
</I> <BR>
<BR>
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