Definitions HQ

Sublimation (n.) raises ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an object to the dignity of the Thing.

Sublimation (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be at work in love's self-giving, but the sublime is not to be confused with the perfect orgasm.

Sublimation (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠three forms — art, religion, science — that rhyme with hysteria, obsessional neurosis and paranoia.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an illusion — Freud says exactly the opposite; religion is the illusion, because he sees a neurosis in it.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the other side of Freud's exploration of ethics — the side the outside world calls, so improperly and comically, the philosophy of values.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a drive saturated and stamped with collective approval: Freud builds it on an antinomy, a defense set up against the drive itself.

Sublimation (n.) satisfies ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the drive somewhere other than where it aims — and that detour is what reveals the drive is no mere instinct but a relation to the Thing.

Sublimation (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its socially accepted forms lets the collectivity delude itself about das Ding — to colonize the field of the Thing with imaginary schemes.

Sublimation (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the object — the exaltation we call love — can make a man accept the gallows for a night with a woman, refuting Kant's fable that no one would.

Sublimation (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its frankest formula means that man can make his desires tradeable and salable in the form of products — cynical, but meritorious for its frankness.

Sublimation (n.) earns ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠money because it calms people: the artwork shows them that at least some can live from the exploitation of their desire.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not idealization: idealizing means identifying with the object, sublimating means something else entirely.

Sublimation (n.) pays ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the artist back after the fact: the glory, honor and money it brings are the very fantasmic satisfactions the drive wanted in the first place.

Sublimation (n.) satisfies ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the drive while being inhibited as to its aim: for the moment I am not fucking, I am talking to you — and I can have exactly the same satisfaction.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not what the foolish crowd thinks: it need not take the path of the sublime, and the crudest sexual game can be the object of a poem without losing its sublimating goal.

Sublimation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠defined not as redirecting sexual energy to a different object as is usually thought, but rather as changing the nature of that object and raising that object to the dignity of a thing. The sublime quality of an object is thus not due to any intrinsic property of the object itself, but simply an effect of the object's position in the symbolic structure of fantasy.