The Head of Medusa and the Interpellation of the Real by Thought

Abstract

The essay revisits the text "The Head of Medusa," in which there are specific contributions to the study of the effects of the castration complex on the structuring of thought and its difficulty in assimilating the real. It follows Freud's indications at the end of the text, highlighting the importance of studies on the origins of that symbol in Greek mythology. It envisions two main questions: why is this myth so unique? And why the myth of the Head of Medusa rather than that of Medusa herself? The aim is to clarify the lessons Psychoanalysis can offer to the discussion of a contemporary issue: the disintegration of progressive forces and the affirmation of human rights, as well as the collapse of the cultural foundations that once legitimized them — now slipping into hatred, dissent, and the narcissism of minor differences, which hinder the plural dialogue necessary for the symbolization of difference and the scientific debate surrounding it.