The Real Jouissance of Uncountable Numbers

'Raul Moncayo and Magdalena Romanowicz's book makes an important contribution to the field of Lacanian studies. They not only provide clear and insightful expositions of Lacan's use of mathematics and logic but also open up crucial questions about the interrelations between psychoanalysis and mathematics. In contrast to other studies written by non-clinicians, this book stays attuned to psychoanalytic practice, showing how mathematical structures and problems are central to clinical ones. It is a rich and thought-provoking study that will interest not only Lacanian analysts and scholars but also anyone working in the area of psychoanalysis and epistemology.'- Darian Leader, author and psychoanalyst; member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research and of the College of Psychoanalysts - UK.'In this highly original book, the authors demonstrate that Lacan's intermittent recourse to mathematical formalisation was not a quirky flight of fancy designed to enhance the scientific legitimacy of psychoanalysis, but something integral to his detailed investigation of the objects of psychic reality. Moving effortlessly between concrete clinical observations and more abstract epistemological considerations, this book is nothing less than mind-blowing, and it constitutes both an innovative contribution to the theory of Lacanian psychoanalysis and a fascinating outlook on what psychoanalysis may add to contemporary debates in the philosophy of science.'- Dany Nobus, Professor of Psychology and Psychoanalysis, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Brunel University, London; Chair of the Freud Museum, London'Ludwig Wittgenstein famously said, "To learn from Freud, you have to be critical." Much the same can be said of Jacques Lacan's oeuvre. This wonderful volume provides a rigorous scaffolding to help us penetrate Lacanian density. Using mathematics and clinical experience as a basis, the authors lead us through Lacan's antisystemic tradition. Their effort enables us to approach one of the most influential French thinkers of the last century. Our efforts will be rewarded by reaching a deeper understanding of how Lacan manages to radically critique reductionism in psychiatry while expanding the non-reductionist revolution of Freud and psychoanalysis.'- Dr med univ Hans Steiner, Porfessor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences and Human Development at Stanford University, California