Roazen on Lacan
2
Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 35, No. 4, Winte r 1996 Lacan's First Disciple PAUL ROAZEN ABSTRACT. A distinguished historian of id eas lon g associated with detailed narratives and analyses of the lives and ideas of the founding figures of psychoanal ysis nterviews Marc -Fran- coi s Lacan, younger brother of Jacques Lacan and a Benedic tine monk. Much is revealed in this essay, originally published in French, of the thinking of both men, most startlingly perhaps of the extent to which there are religious elements in the background and e ven the thought of Jacques Lacan, that comma nding personality n French psychoanalyt ic circles. Psychoanalysis in France has attained a unique status today. It is not j~,~st a matter of the large number of different French psychoanalytic organizations, or the quantity of practitioners in the profession. But one group alone, out of more than a dozen, does form the largest unit in the International Psycho- analytic Association first set up by Freud in 1910. Although Jacques Lacan was effectively driven out of the IPA in the early 1950s, it is a sign of the special impact he has had that despite all the controversies associated with Lacan he remains the central figure in the history of French psychoanalysis. The liveliness and vitality of psychoanalysis in contempor ary France owes an immense debt to the inspiration that Lacan succeeded in providing. There are no bookstores in the world as filled with fresh texts on psycho- analysis as now can be found in Paris. The fact that the long-awaited multi- volume Freud-Ferenczi correspondence first started to appear in French, be- fore either German or English, is a sign of the special interest psychoanalysis evokes in France. Nowhere else in the world has psychoanalysis been able to become so secure a part of university life as there, although something not too dissimilar has been taking place in Argentina. French analysts are cultur- ally sophisticated in an unusual way. Lacan liked to think th at he had accom- plished a "return" to Freud, and in my own experience of meeting many suro viving early analysts who knew Freud personally I can say that I have never met as interesting a group of analysts, apart from the ones who were once around Freud, as can be found in Paris today. Understanding Lacan's writings, his theories as well as his reported prac- tices, is not an easy matter. And so when I heard that Lacan had a brother still alive, a Benedictine monk who was an intellectual in whom Lacan con- Paul Roazen, Ph.D., is Profess or of Soci al and Political Science Emeritus a t York Univer sity n Toro nto and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. 32 1 9 199 6 Inst itut es of Religio n and Health
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Jou rna l of Religion and He alth, Vol. 35, No. 4, Winte r 1996
L a c a n ' s F i r s t D i s c i p l e
PAUL ROAZEN
ABSTRACT. A distinguished historian of ideas long associated with detailed narratives andanalyses of the lives and ideas of the foundingfigures of psychoanalysis nterviews Marc-Fran-cois Lacan, younger brother of Jacques Lacan and a Benedictinemonk. Much is revealed in thisessay, originally published in French, of the thinking of both men, most startlingly perhaps of
the extent to which there are religious elements in the background and even the thought ofJacques Lacan, that commandingpersonality n French psychoanalyticcircles.
Psyc hoan alys is in Fr ance has att ain ed a uniq ue sta tus today. It is not j~,~st a
mat ter of the large nu mber of different French psychoanalytic organizations,
or the qu an tit y of practition ers in the profession. But one group alone, out of
more than a dozen, does form the largest unit in the International Psycho-
analytic Association first set up by Freud in 1910. Although Jacques Lacan
was effectively driven out of the IPA in the early 1950s, it is a sign of the
special impact he has had that despite all the controversies associated withLacan he remai ns the central figure in the h istory of French psychoanalysis.
The liveliness a nd vitality of psychoanalysis in contempor ary France owes an
immense debt to the inspiration tha t Lacan succeeded in providing.
There are no bookstores in the world as filled with fresh texts on psycho-
analysis as now can be found in Paris. The fact that the long-awaited multi-
volume Freud-Ferenczi correspondence first started to appear in French, be-
fore either Germ an or English, is a sign of the special interest psychoanalysis
evokes in France . Nowher e else in the world has psychoan alysis been able to
become so secure a p art of univ ersi ty life as there, altho ugh som ethin g not
too dissimilar has been ta king place in Argentina. Fren ch analys ts are cultur-
ally sophisticated in an unu sua l way. Lacan liked to thin k th at he ha d accom-
plished a "return" to Freud, and in my own experience of meeting ma ny suro
viving early analysts who knew Freud personally I can say that I have never
met as intere sting a group of analysts, apa rt from the ones who were once
around Freud, as can be found in Paris today.
Understanding Lacan's writings, his theories as well as his reported prac-
tices, is not an easy matter. And so when I heard that Lacan had a brother
still alive, a Benedictine monk who was an intellectual in whom Lacan con-
Paul Roazen, Ph.D., is Professor of Social and Political Science Emeritus at York University n
Toronto and Fellow of the Royal Societyof Canada.
321 9 1996 Institutes of Religionand Health
