Interpretation in the Discourse of the Psychoanalyst and the Discourse of the University

From its beginning with the work of Sigmund Freud, the practice and theories of psychoanalysis have attracted interest from a diverse set of scholars who wish to use psychoanalysis in their work. Fredric Jameson and Slavoj Zizek—in distinctive ways—use psychoanalysis as part of a broader dialectical approach to their interpretive strategies for cultural and social criticism. From a Lacanian perspective, this use can be articulated as an instance of the Discourse of the University, in which knowledge acts on the object of the study. Thomas Svolos presents an alternative approach to cultural and social criticism, where the libido or jouissance at stake drives the production of critical discourse—the Discourse of the Analyst. The distinction, however, is a function of the relative position of elements within the discourse and not a value judgement on the preference of one or the other. The Discourse of the University and the Discourse of the Analyst also place emphasis on different aspects of knowledge—imaginary knowledge versus knowledge in the real.