‘Proposal (Proposition) of 9th October 1967  on the psychoanalyst of the School’: Jacques Lacan

by Julia Evans on October 9, 1967

This is one of three texts where Jacques Lacan deals with the structure of a psychoanalytic organisation (Access to translations below) :

1) 1964: a) The founding act b) Adjunct to the founding act c) Preamble to the founding act

2) 1967: The proposal on the analyst of the School

3) 1973: The Italian note

Quote from Cormac Gallagher, www.lacaninireland, translation of 1968 Scilicet version, available here

1) An historical note:

From Lacanian Works’ : Brief Biography of Jacques Lacan : available here gives a more complete account of the following.

1953 – Controversy within the Paris Psychoanalytic Society. Daniel Lagache, followed by Lacan, formed a new Société de Psychananlyse.

1953 to early 1960s – Expelled, finally, from the International Psychoanalytic Association, because of unorthodox practice and teaching methods.

1964 – Reformed his analytic society, calling it L’École freudienne de Paris.

1968-May Revolution. Lacan supported the students’ revolt. President of the psychoanalytic department of the University of Vincennes.

1980 – dissolved the École Freudienne, and formed La Cause Freudienne. Expulsion of many previously close collaborators. Legal battles.

2) The Proposal of 9th October, 1967

In the first paragraph, Jacques Lacan advises you ‘Before reading it, I underline that it has to be heard against the background of a reading, to be done or re-done, of my article (p384-411 of my Écrits)’:

‘The Situation of Psychoanalysis and the Training of Psychoanalysts in 1956’ p384-411 in Écrits: The first complete edition in English, translated by Bruce Fink, W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. See Écrits : 1966 : Jacques Lacan or here

In French:

‘Situation de la psychanalyse et formation du psychanalyste en 1956’: Écrits p 459-486 of the French edition.

3) Publication of ‘The Proposal of 9 October 1967  on the psychoanalyst of the School’ in English:

a) Translated by Cormac Gallagher: published at www.lacaninireland.com : and, translation of 1968 Scilicet version, available here.

b) Translated by Russell Grigg as ‘Proposition of 9^th October 1967 on the Psychoanalyst of the School’ : published at: Analysis Number Six, 1995 and at the web-site of the London Society of the New Lacanian School: available here or at www.LacanianWorksExchange.net /lacan

c) see Richard G. Klein’s website, www.Freud2Lacan.com,

This first version of the proposition of 9 October 1967 on the psychoanalyst of the school appeared in Ornicar? Analytica volume 8 – 1978. It was presented there as being indeed the one that was delivered by Lacan on 9 October 1967. It contains 4845 words, whereas the so‐called second version, published in Scilicet [no.1. 1968, pp.14‐30] contains 5059 words

This is the 1978 version from Ornicar?, which is published in Autres Écrits: 2001 : Jacques Lacan, see here :

bilingual, translated by Jeffrey Mehlman, Cormac Gallagher & translator unknown, available here

bilingual, translated by Anthony Chadwick, see here

This is the 1968 version which is not published in Écrits :

Translator Russell Grigg, as above, available, bilingual, here

Bilingual, translated by Russell Grigg & Cormac Gallagher, see here

Commentary :

The Analyst’s Impossible Identification : September 2017 : Miquel Bassols : published in Howard Rouse’s translation in Sciobh Issue 5 , December 2018 (Online Journal of the Irish Circle of the Lacanian Orientation) : See here

Note : If links to any required text do not work, check www.LacanianWorksExchange.net. If a particular text or book is missing, contact Julia Evans.

Julia Evans

Practicing Lacanian Psychoanalyst, London & Sandwich, Kent