Law and Emotion and Lacan
Should we let our emotions control us? Should we base our decisions on how we are feeling at a specific time? Perhaps emotion shouldn’t factor at all into our decisions. Some of the characters we have studied exhibit both sides of this question. Luther and Alice from the show Luther fall on opposite sides of the spectrum while Billy Budd takes a hybrid approach.
Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who is considered to be a major figure of modern philosophy, developed the idea of the “pathological object.” This idea, when put up against the “categorical imperative,” is what can lead a person to make a certain decision. The categorical imperative states that one must live his life by a set of moral principles. These principles must be followed through and through, regardless of the situation. It is these principles that will lead a person to his goal.
In contrast to the categorical imperative is the pathological object. The pathological object raises the question as to whether we should in fact live by a certain categorical imperative or maybe our life and decisions should be based on emotion. This is the pathological object; decisions should be made based on an always evolving understanding and emotional feeling.
This contrast can be seen in the interplay between Luther and Alice. Luther, more often than not, allows his emotions to pave the way for him and lead him in his decisions. It is his emotions that carry him along in his investigation of the serial killer and vigilante Marwood. His emotions are also what lead him in his love life. Another example where Luther is led by his emotions is in the gripping opening episode. Madsen, a suspect that Luther is chasing, is hanging on a ledge for ...
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...ould have shaped them and been a precursor to their actions as an adult. This makes a lot of sense according to Lacan as a child’s conception of society is formed shortly after he born.
It would be interesting to see the upbringing of these three characters and if in fact, they correspond to their later actions. Even if they don’t correspond, there can be exceptions to Lacan’s theory. It doesn’t necessarily disprove it.
Emotion is power. Being emotional can sometimes be paralyzing. We have seen how different characters make decisions, what they are based on, and if they sometimes falter off that path.
Works Cited
Cross, Neil. Luther. BBC. London, England. Television.
"Introduction to Jacques Lacan, Module on Psychosexual Development." Purdue. Web.
Melville, Herman, and Frederic Barron Freeman. Billy Budd. Cambridge: Harvard Univ., 1948. Print.
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Rosen, L. D., Cheever, N. A., Cummings, C., & Felt, J. (2008). The impact of emotionality and
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