You complete me: The Lacanian subject and three forms of ideological fantasy

Abstract

Lacan’s work on subjectivity provides the foundation for a number of unique developments in the understanding of how social stratification is maintained through belief in ideology. For Lacan, the subject is structurally lacking due to the lack inherent in signification and language. The response of subjects is to seek out the object cause of desire—a subject, object or discourse believed capable of filling the void in the subject. Lacan calls this endless and impossible process fantasy. By providing enjoyment and sustaining the desire of the subject fantasy is a tranquilizing force capable of justifying or masking the contingent, hierarchical, artificial and violent components of ideological discourses. This article examines the presence and affects of fantasy within Judaeo-Christian scripture, fascist doctrine, consumerism and human rights discourses. Through a comparison of ideological religious, political and legal discourses the striking similarities in the role of fantasy in maintaining belief in the universality, eternality and altruism of these discourses can be observed. Three recurrent forms of fantasy are highlighted—the fantasy of completeness in the present though adherence to the ideological discourse, the fantasy of completeness in the future through adherence to the ideological discourse and the blaming of incompleteness on scapegoats. It is argued that fantasy plays a significant role in ensuring the continuation of hierarchical social relations created and maintained by ideological discourses.