Reconsidering the Significance of Structuralism in Lacan's Thought

Despite the formidable size of his oeuvre, spanning a period from 1932 to 1980, Lacan is frequently summarized with reference to a single statement: 'The unconscious is structured like a language.' Both critics and disciples of Lacanian thought usually assert that Lacan's primary theoretical contribution consists of a linguistic turn wherein the energetic, libidinal unconscious of Freud is transformed into a formalizable, symbolic structure. To some, this 'linguistification' of the unconscious represents a necessary overcoming of Freud's inappropriate reliance upon nineteenth century biology and physics.…