The Lacanian act and passage à l’acte: A case history of the subjective effects of crime on the criminal

Abstract

In reference to the case history of an incarcerated man, this article explores the difference between the Lacanian concepts of the act and the passage à l’acte in reference to the position of the subject and questions around psychic structure (neurosis, psychosis). The authors seek to show how the criminal act can be viewed as an effort towards a structural reorganization of the subject.