Reiteration and automaton: A posthumanist reading of repetition in Zhuangzi and Jacques Lacan

This article compares repetition in Zhuangzi and Jacques Lacan from three perspectives: repetition as a mechanism, a revelation, and a solution. First, repetition enables us to detect underlying structures. Zhuangzi loses himself in observing the intricate animal relationships (the mantis, cicada, m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asian philosophy
Main Author: Wang, Quan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Carfax 2023
In: Asian philosophy
Further subjects:B the subject
B Posthumanism
B Repetition
B the real
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article compares repetition in Zhuangzi and Jacques Lacan from three perspectives: repetition as a mechanism, a revelation, and a solution. First, repetition enables us to detect underlying structures. Zhuangzi loses himself in observing the intricate animal relationships (the mantis, cicada, magpie) without any knowledge of being watched over by a garden-keeper. Lacan rewrites these positions into three stages of human development. Repetition also serves as a revelation. The four repetitions of the magus’ diagnoses reveal the shift from the transparent subject to the opaque subject. Lacan absorbs this mysterious Daoist concept and rewrites repetition as “an encounter with the real.” Finally, to restore the symbiotic coexistence with things, Zhuangzi resorts to repetition. Like Zhuangzi, Lacan acknowledges the capacity for repetition to enable our encounter with the Real; unlike Zhuangzi, Lacan holds that the primary function of repetition is to “haul” the subject from collapsing into the Real.
ISSN:1469-2961
Contains:Enthalten in: Asian philosophy
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/09552367.2022.2160046