Exploring Lacan: The Concept of 'I'

The Formation of the ‘I’ – Pre reading for Lacan’s Ecrits

As a core concept in a primarily feminist discourse to date, the idea of the viewer gaze has become a central part of analysis of all things image. Laura Mulvey offers the idea of the ‘ubiquitous male gaze’ in Hollywood cinema as a defining template for most modern (pre fem) analysis of the visual arts, but this idea stems from the core concept of an individual existing. When reading Pollock and Braxandall, as well as Gamman/Marshment, often references to Jaques Lacan’s concepts are made, namely his ideas around that of the image shaping personal perception of self. It would be safe to assume that the feminist points made in Pollock’s discourse relating to ideological state apparatus (also an Athusserian concept!) shaping the gender of the modern capitalist has stemmed from a study of Lacanian thought.

In order to underpin the reading of Lacan’s Ecrits, a highly complex and lengthy series of ideas, I want to first explore and define the concept of ‘I’ and its roots. Starting with Descartes ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’ as foundation for western philosophy; the Descartian idea of there are thoughts, therefore there must be a mind offers an un-intruded view of self awareness. I have consciousness, so therefore I cannot doubt that I exist, which seems to be an undeniable fact. In order to process the concept of existence, one must exist to be able to comprehend the problem of existence. Even in the light of cartesian doubt, the self is assured by the process, not by the influence upon the process. J.P Sartre could be referenced here with counter arguments of a non concrete self awareness, a mere removed idea that self is infact as perceived, also offering a ‘matrix’ style hypotheses of sensory doubt.

Turning to Freud, the triadic self and its set stages of formulation offer a bridge from the state of nature (I refer to John Locke) of the Id to a rational, self-aware and controlled ego in the early stages of development. If the cogito is to take place, perhaps at the mid stages of ego formation, and before the super ego is formed by external input and language. Stating libidinal sources and phallic drives as the motivator for all actions, the oral and anal stages of development would therefore be paramount in the formation of self perception. Gaining pleasure from the phallic centre to quieten the Id would therefore become a conscious process (I think)? It would seem that Freud and Descartes exclude the external from the development of self, Freud with biological and chronological set developmental stages, Descartes by doubting the existence of anything except his own perception. Lacan would seem to differ in his stance upon the formation of self awareness by placing the external in a key position in development. His core concept of the 'mirror' stage in the immobile infant suggests that placation of the id, that action of providing said natural instinct with libidinal sustenance, becomes a conscious effort at the mirror stage, when formation of a conscious self is re enforced by visual stimuli.

If we consider the recent study by neo-behaviorist Bushnell (UK), the recognition of facial patterns to infants, namely that of the mother's, sets up in the formation of ego the influence of the visual. The motion starved infant sees mostly abstract areas of light and shade, and makes little to no causal relations, except, as before stated, when libidinal drives are satisfied. The oral stage offers the mouth as a phallic center, the id craves pleasure, the body craves sustenance. When the mother feeds the infant, be it with natural or artificial breasts (referring to the bottle), the facial image is seen in direct proximity to libidinal satisfaction. The psyche forms a causal relation with the image as a pre-curser to satisfaction of the phallus.

In the Ecrits, Lacan states a 'libidinal dynamism' in the semi - mobile 'trote bebe' as functional in the progression of the mirror stage, the acquisition of the image of an alien-yet-familiar mass providing some satisfaction to early the ego in its id placation role. The formation of causal relationships between motor function and motion in the perceived image, paired with that of motor function and non compliance in other alien masses, forces cognitive awareness of self. The abstract 'I' forms, unshaped by language or morality, and at early stages, still somewhat unable to fully control itself, merely aware that that arm is my arm, that leg my leg. Interestingly, with this semi control, the ego gains a frustration, a latent perception of self that forces development and continued formation of an authoritarian 'I'.


Key sources:

Lacan.J(1966)The Mirror Stage as Formative of the I- From Ecrits, 5th ed 2003, Routledge Classics, UK
Pollock.G(1988)Vision and Difference, Feminism, femininity and the histories of art. Routledge. second edition.UK
Robinson,D et al(1999) Introducing Descartes - A study of Modern Thought, Icon, UK
http://infantlab.fiu.edu/Articles/Bushnell%202001.pdf