Psychoanalysis and philosophy: French literature

French literature occupies a central position in the intellectual and artistic development all over Europe. Already in 12th century, it was ahead of the curve and shaped the poetry of medieval Europe. Actually, during the Renaissance, the leading position in literature was secured by Italy. However, even in the homeland of the great Shakespeare the classical French theatre was a model to follow, and Russian playwrights considered the highest praise when they were compared to Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine.

Throughout its development, French literature was marked by a close relationship with society and the historical process. It was also distinguished by its closeness to philosophy and, in comparison with other European literatures, had an obviously deep contact with the arts. The French literary evolution was an integral part of the modernisation of cultural art. The 20th century gave it a kind of detachment from reality and prompted a search for an ideal.

The philosopher, culture and literature scholar René Girard developed a concept of "fundamental anthropology", in the framework of which the issue of ritual sacrifice was developed.

French literature was equally, or even maybe to a greater extent, shaped by the existentialists Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. They formed the basis of leading motifs and sentiments by making the existentialism of life the only value that exists.

The philosopher Gilles Deleuze was an innovator of modern cinema and music. His ideas formed the basis of modern post-structuralist knowledge. Having become interested in philosophy at the age of 14, Gilles Deleuze was eager to enthuse not only A-students, but also poets, pensioners and lunatics with his lectures.

Following Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, Jacques Lacan defined a consistent transition of adherents of psychoanalysis who, forming the "real − symbolic − imaginary" triad, created a vivid new theory about the human psyche, allowing to trace not only the values of individuals, but also to reveal their desires and inner drives.

Lecturer

Nina Shcherbak is Associate Professor in the Department of English Philology and Cultural Linguistics at St Petersburg University, Master of Arts (the United Kingdom), a writer and screenwriter. She is also a scriptwriter for science television shows, author of fifteen monographs, and books on linguistics, literature, language philosophy, and English literature.

The lecture will be held as part of the events to mark the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University, the oldest university in Russia. The meeting will be held online in Russian with simultaneous interpreting into Spanish.

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