Seminar by Dr Raul Moncayo & Dr Calum Neill: Instinct and Drive in Darwin and Freud; Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Biology
What is a Cartel? – Reading Groups and How to Get Involved
A cartel can be defined as ‘any group of Lacanians who come together to study a text’ (Gallagher: 2010: 17). It is a formation integral to the process of making sense of Lacan’s texts, or any other psychoanalytic text or topic, and can be joined by anyone with an interest in Lacanian theory. Keep reading to find out what it is and how you can get involved in one.
Upcoming Events 2018
Lacan in Scotland is dedicated to organising events for those interested in Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and its practice as well as related theories. The aim is to increase the presence and knowledge of Lacanian theory in Scotland/north of England.
Our events this semester in 2018 include prominent Lacanian scholars and practitioners:
Event: Screening & Discussion of ‘Fifteen Million Merits’
Facebook event found here.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY MARCH 9 @ 7PM, EDINBURGH NAPIER’S MERCHISTON CAMPUS (IN BRUNTSFIELD), ROOM G24.
Join us at the Banshee Labyrinth for a screening of the Black Mirror episode “Fifteen Million Merits”, followed by a discussion of possible connections with Lacanian psychoanalytic theory – exploring notions of escapism, sexuality, and capitalism as depicted in this episode.
Event: A Lacanian Analysis of ‘A Christmas Carol’
Facebook event found here.
Join us for a seminar in preparation for the festive season, where Claudia Di Gianfranscesco (BA/hons student at Edinburgh Napier University) will give a Lacanian psychoanalytic analysis of ‘A Christmas Carol’, based on Charles Dickens’ novel and Robert Zemeckis’ (2009) movie adaptation of it.
Screening & Discussion: ‘Like an Open Sky’
We will be screening Mariana Otero’s acclaimed documentary ‘Like an Open Sky’ (A Ciel Ouvert), which follows a group of children at Le Courtil, a Lacanian-oriented institution for psychotic and autistic children and adolescents on the border of France and Belgium.
Event: Lacan, Joyce and Discourse
Lacan, Joyce and Discourse
Panel Presentation with Daniel Bristow, Raul Moncayo & Calum Neill
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/270039896782741/
This panel will take the form of presentations which will bring into conversation the writing of James Joyce and the thinking of Jacques Lacan in a manner which pushes us to question the ways each can be used to elucidate the other
Event: ‘Into the Wild’: A Lacanian Reading
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/823683131103962/
The tragic story of Christopher McCandless’s 1992 expedition into the Alaskan wilderness captured the imagination of many as it was told by Sean Penn’s film Into the Wild. The young McCandless turned his back on a prosperous middle class life, breaking with friends and family, took on a new name, and pursued a solitary life in the hope of a purer existence. He came to be considered a hero by some, a disturbed loner by others.
The Palgrave Lacan Series
The Palgrave Lacan Series is a book series for new work written in the Lacanian field, edited by Calum Neill (Edinburgh Napier University, UK) and Derek Hook (Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA). This book series promises new, insightful contributions to the field. One book was released last year, one is due to be released this month, another in April (see below) and more on the way later in the year by authors such as Dany Nobus and Adrian Johnston.
Getting Started with Lacanian Theory
Becoming familiar with Lacan’s thoughts can be like a maze if you don’t know where to look. To go straight to Lacan’s work, without the complement of secondary resources to make a bit sense of it all, is a brave and difficult endeavour. There are of course many books out there so I thought I would share some of the references which have been of great help to me at the start of my ‘journey’, and some of which still are, and that I know other people around me have also benefitted from. Here is my list of suggestive starting points: