Introduction to Section III

The first article in this section, “How can instinct be the ‘basic concept of transcendental teleology’?” is an exploration of Husserl's concept of “transcendental instinct”. Husserl attempted to propose an overall clarification of the structure of the subject and the process of constituting a meaningful world from the perspective of instinct. He thought that his “transcendental instincts” should be distinguished from the biological appetites—sexual desire, sleep desire, an instinct toward motherhood, self-preservation, etc., as well as from the psychoanalytically revealed instincts of libido and Thanatos. Although Husserl would emphasise his differences with psychoanalysis, his discussion of instinct in terms of the mother-infant relationship is similar to the thinking in object relations theory. The author concludes that Husserl's theory of instincts and a psychoanalytic theory of instincts complement each other. Husserl's theory of instincts is discussed several times in the text using the infant as an example, and for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists familiar with psychoanalytic theory of infancy, reading this article may provide new perspectives on the relationship between the infantile instincts and their emotional development.

The second article, “The unspeakable mystery: Lacan and Wittgenstein on silence”, delves into the complex relationship between Lacanian psychoanalysis and Wittgenstein's philosophy, focusing on the concept of the “unspeakable”. The study begins by exploring Lacan's three registers—imaginary, symbolic, and real—through Wittgenstein's lens of what can and cannot be articulated in language. By doing so, it reveals the silent undercurrents that influence both psychoanalytic theory and practice. This article argues that understanding these silent elements can enrich the psychoanalytic process, particularly in dealing with patients’ unconscious drives and symbolic structures. Since psychoanalysis and psychotherapy are professional practices