The aim of this course is to introduce the work of Laplanche which is widely known outside the Anglophone community but until quite recently was little known in English largely because very little had been translated into English. Until 2011 nothing of his work after 1993 had been translated into English except the odd article here and there. His works complete works – some 14 volumes – have been translated into Spanish and Italian and at least as much as exists in English translation exists in German and Portuguese. This course hopes to be part of correcting the deficit.
The emphasis will be on his recent work which is very much the culmination of this theorizing and also reflects a kind of ‘late style’ in the sense owing to Edward Said. By starting with some of the most recent texts, not only will we immediately focus on Laplanche’s major contributions, but also make it possible to see how his early thinking opened the domain in which he would make those contributions. It will also make easier and more fun to read the earlier work which is at times can be difficult when it is condensed, abstract and rapid fire while at other times it is difficult because it is so closely argued and detailed.
