On the matter of language: The creation of the world from letters and Jacques Lacan's perception of letters as real

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Jewish texts from Late Antiquity, as well as culturally affiliated sources, contain three different traditions about the creation of the world from alphabetic letters. This observation, which contradicts the common assumption that the myth of creation from letters stems from the holiness of the Jewish language, calls for comparative study. A structural approach to the letter as a founding ontological element is corroborated by the ancient Greek word stoicheion (στoιχειoν), which refers to both physical foundations and alphabetic letters. To analyze this attitude to the letter in the ancient world, I draw on the psychoanalytic theory of Jacques Lacan, which addresses the question of the letter in the framework of human discourse. I use Lacan's concepts to describe and illuminate the inherent connection between letters and the very foundations of the world.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)101-115
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2009

RAMBI publications

  • RAMBI
  • Lacan, Jacques -- 1901-1981
  • Creation -- Religious aspects -- Judaism
  • Cabala -- History
  • Hebrew language -- Alphabet
  • Language and languages -- Philosophy
  • Jewish philosophy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'On the matter of language: The creation of the world from letters and Jacques Lacan's perception of letters as real'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this