PHI 604 The Unconscious Act: Theories of Repetition in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis

The Unconscious.png

Prerequisites: Familiarity with Philosophy, Psychology, and Psychoanalysis 

Format: This course will have 5 pre-recorded lectures, which each enrolled student must engage in and show they comprehend the lecture before being admitted to the discussion section.

Dates:  March 6, 13, 20, 27

Day(s): Sundays

Time:  12 Noon Eastern (New York Time)

Term: March

Year: 3 BA, 1st year MA, 1st year PhD

Credits: 3


Instructor(s): Vanessa Sinclair, Psy.D

This class explores the unconscious act by examining theories of repetition put forth by psychoanalysts and philosophers over time. To understand the mechanisms at work, we first review Freud’s writings on the unconscious, as well as his theories of remembering, repeating and working through unconscious material. We survey philosophers who came before him who arguably influenced his thinking, including Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. We then examine theories of the unconscious and repetition in Lacan and Deleuze, and expound upon them via philosophers of the Ljubljana school. We discuss the act in theater and film and the ways in which unconscious dynamics are mirrored and re-enacted therein. We conclude by reviewing modern writings on the unconscious in the digital age, bringing psychoanalytic philosophy to the present day as we look at the ways in which psychoanalytic thinking may help us understand our current culture, as well as conversely how the digital age allows for a better understanding of psychoanalytic theory and practice. 

Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Enhanced critical thinking skills

  • Enhanced writing and communication skills

  • Enhanced understanding of the history of philosophy, psychology, and psychoanalysis.

Required Texts: 

Burnham, C. (2018). Does the Internet Have an Unconscious? Slavoj Žižek and Digital Culture. New York: Bloomsbury. 

Critchley, S. (2019). Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us. Pantheon Books: New York. 

Cybulska, E. (2015). “Freud's Burden of Debt to Nietzsche and Schopenhauer.” Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology. 15:2. pp. 1-15.

Deleuze, G. (1994). Difference & Repetition. Translated by Paul Patton. New York: Columbia University Press.

Freud, S. (1914). “Remembering, repeating and working-through (further recommendations on the technique of psycho-analysis II).” The Complete Standard Edition of the Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud (SE) XII. London: Hogarth Press. pp. 145-156.

Freud, S. (1915). “The Unconscious.” SEXIV. London: Hogarth Press. pp. 159-215.

Lacan, J. (1978). The Four Fundamental Concepts of Psycho-analysis. Translated by Alan Sheridan. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Zupančič, A. (2008). “Repetition.” The Odd One In: On Comedy. Cambridge: The MIT Press. pp. 148-182.

Assessments:

  • The student will be assessed in all aspects of this course through the following means:

  • Presentation [10% of total Grade]

  • Weekly Paper Submission of 400 words, but no more than 1,000 [20%]

  • Participation [In the live discussion sections, or in the forum if unable to attend the discussion live]  [20%]

  • Research Paper Examination 3,000 word academic research paper [50%]

Accommodations:

Please inform the Chancellor’s office if you need accommodation by completing this form.