claims: ( 1 ) alllibido (even animal, sexual libido) is narcissistic in essence insofar
as it depends on the imaginary function of the Gestalten; ( 2 ) more importantly, man
can carry out the tasks of his animal, sexual libido only if he partially overcomes
the self-destructive tendencies of his ego libido (directed toward the ideal ego).
This can be achieved culturally only by the introjection of the ego-ideal that re-
solves the Oedipus complex: the ego-ideal can be said to represent a paradoxically
symbolic readaptation of man’s disadapted libido, a symbolic palliative for a “dis-
ordered imagination.” For the early Lacan, man’s uniqueness is determined more
by the Imaginary than it is by the Symbolic.
But what does Lacan mean more precisely when he claims that the Oedipus
complex is both cultural and structural?^73 As we have seen, he is denying that it
is based on instincts. If, on the one hand, natural instincts are universal by defi-
nition—man’s defective Imaginary obviously constituting an exception to this
rule—and, on the other, all cultures are particular—being characterized by par-
ticular laws—Lacan’s main issue regarding complexes could be circumscribed by
the following question: is there a universal Law of culture? He thinks he can an-
swer this positively by indicating the prohibition of incest: all cultures—despite
their particular laws—have somehow to universally distinguish themselves from
nature. The prohibition of incest as universal Law of culture not only distinguishes
culture from nature but also somehow “naturalizes” culture, provides culture with
a universal structure.However, Lacan refuses to accept Freud’s idea according to
which cultural structures (the Oedipus complex and its possible variations) are
transmitted (phylo)genetically from one generation to another. He agrees with
Freud that the transmission of the Oedipus complex cannot be dependent upon the
specific contingencies of a given familial situation (otherwise the structure would
risk not being universal), but he also believes that if transmission were genetic,
then culture would become nature and complexes would be mere instincts. For
Lacan, culture structurally modifies human nature, “naturalizes itself,” as it were,
by becoming universal, while at the same time preserving its distinction from na-
ture (this is another way of viewing the fact that the gap between man and animal
can never be completely filled); holding such a view is possible only if one hy-
pothesizes the existence of an unconscious cultural structure, the Oedipus com-
plex, upon which the functioning of human instincts (drives) depends. As Miller
writes: “It is as if he—Lacan—said to himself ‘Freud thought he could ground his
concept of complexes in instinct, and I’m going to do just the opposite. I’m going
to take the concept of complex as primary and clarify the concept of [human] in-
stinct on its basis.’”^74
tuis.
(Tuis.)
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