Relation

Summary

Dominique Pagani defines relation as the logical opposite of substance: substance is in itself and through itself, whereas relation is through another. Father and son, high and low, right and left, east and west do not exist by themselves, but only between two existences or in relation to something else12. A mother and her son exist, whereas the relation that unites them is not an existence: thinking it requires an effort. He draws several examples from this: weight is the relation of a mass to the centre of the Earth, a bag seems light or heavy depending on who carries it, and mathematics is a science of relations rather than of terms. He also applies the notion to identity, which must be built through relation rather than substance, and to names such as that of the Gourmantché or of Ukraine. He adds that it is relation that makes the human being3. In his view, the error lies in seeing substance where there is relation.

1. 1#6.1 Prelude: Lacan, “Function and field of speech and language”10 Nov 2019 · 31:10
2. 2Imaginary identity15 May 2025 · 33:33
3. 3#7 Answers to questions (continued)3 Dec 2020 · 50:42

Summary produced automatically from 19 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.