Freudian School of Paris

French organization

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

The Freudian School of Paris was a French organization founded by psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan in 1964. Lacan, an influential interpreter of Sigmund Freud's work, emphasized the role of language in shaping the unconscious. He sought to integrate modern linguistics and philosophy into psychoanalytic theory.12

Lacan established the Freudian School of Paris to strictly adhere to Freudian principles. However, he disbanded it in 1980, believing it had failed to maintain these standards. Lacan's work extended beyond psychoanalysis, significantly impacting French cultural life in the 1970s. His therapeutic methods were known for being unconventional.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Luce Irigaray
…École Freudienne de Paris (Freudian School of Paris), founded in 1964 by the philosopher and psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. The publication of her second doctoral thesis (in philosophy), Speculum de l’autre femme (1974; Speculum of the Other Woman), which was highly critical of Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, resulted in her…
Read More
…École Freudienne de Paris (Freudian School of Paris), founded in 1964 by the philosopher and psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. The publication of her second doctoral thesis (in philosophy), Speculum de l’autre femme (1974; Speculum of the Other Woman), which was highly critical of Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, resulted in her…
Read More

Jacques Lacan
…headed an organization called the Freudian School of Paris from 1964 until he disbanded it in 1980 for what he claimed was its failure to adhere with sufficient strictness to Freudian principles.
Read More
…headed an organization called the Freudian School of Paris from 1964 until he disbanded it in 1980 for what he claimed was its failure to adhere with sufficient strictness to Freudian principles.
Read More