First Writings

Before he became an analyst, Lacan was a psychiatrist. The articles in the present volume would not be being republished if they didnt invite us to read them retroactively. What can they teach us about the formation of this future analyst? Lacans clinical approach is rooted in the uniqueness of each case, which is only ever chosen for its singularity. Each one must necessarily present an original character or be atypical. One might recognise from the outset an orientation towards the one-by-one required by the practice of psychoanalysis. The singularity of each case re-occurs at the level of the clinical details, studied with a concern for precision that extends down to the smallest detail, to the point where the observation may seem labyrinthine to the reader. Lacan will later declare his taste for fidelity to the symptoms formal envelope. Three other features carry traces of the future. There is the use of the word structure to refer to the organisation of an entity that forms a whole, separate from other entities, and detached from the concept of development. There is the importance given to the analysis of the writings of patients. And then there is the related connection established between symptoms and literary creations.