‌‌‌‌　　英：anxicty;法：angoisse;德：Angst

‌‌‌‌　　在精神病学上，焦虑被长期认作心理障碍的最常见症状之一。有关焦虑的精神病学描述一般都会指涉到心理现象 (忧虑、担心)与躯体现象 (呼吸困难、心悸、肌肉紧张、疲劳、眩晕、冒汗及颤抖)两个方面。此外，精神病学家们还在广泛性焦虑状态 (generalisedanxiety states)与“惊恐发作" (panic attacks)之间做出了区分，前者是存在于大多数时间的“自由浮动性焦虑”(frce-floating anxiety), 后者则是“急性焦虑的间歇性发作”(intermittent episodes of acuteanxiety)(Hughes. 1981:48-9).

‌‌‌‌　　弗洛伊德采用的德文术语 (Angt)虽然具有上面描述的精神病学意义，但却绝非是一项专门的技术性术语，因为它在日常言语中也很常用”。弗洛伊德在其著述过程中曾发展过两种焦虑理论。从1884年至1925年，他宣称神经症性焦虑仅仅是对于尚未得到充分释放的性欲力比多的一种转化。然而，在1926年，他却抛弃了此种理论，并改而认为焦虑是针对“创伤性情境”(traumatic situation)的一种反应一在面对无法得到释放的兴奋积聚时的一种无助 (HELPLESSNESS)体验。这些创伤性情境是由各种“危险情境"所促成的，诸如延生、丧失作为对象的母亲、丧失爱的对象，而且尤其是阉割，等等。弗洛伊德区分了当焦虑作为某一创伤性情境的结果而被直接引发时的“自动性焦虑”(automatic anxiety)以及当焦虑作为对某一预期危险情境的警告而由自我主动再生时的“信号性焦虑”(anxiety as signal).

‌‌‌‌　　拉康在其“二战”前的著作中主要将焦虑联系于主体在镜子阶段中所面对的碎裂的威胁（见：碎裂的身体[FRAGMENTED BODY])。他认为，只有在镜子阶段之后很久，这些有关身体肢解的幻想才会围绕着阴茎而聚合起来，从而引发阉割焦虑 (Lacan, 1938:44)。此外，他还把焦虑联系于被饕餮母亲 (devouringmohr)所吞噬的恐惧。这一主题（明显带有克莱因派的论调）此后始终是拉康对焦虑进行说明的一个重要面向，而且标志着拉康与弗洛伊德之间的一点显著的差异：弗洛伊德提出焦虑的原因之一是与母亲的分离，而拉康则认为恰恰是缺乏此种分离才诱发了焦虑。

‌‌‌‌　　在1953年以后，拉康逐渐开始把焦虑链接于他的实在界概念，即始终处在象征化之外且因此缺乏任何可能中介的一个创伤性元素。这一实在界即“不再是任何对象的一个本质性对象，然而此种事物却面对着所有话语的终结与一切范畴的失败，是焦虑的绝佳对象”(S2,164).

‌‌‌‌　　在把焦虑联系于实在界的同时，拉康也同样把它定位于想象秩序，并使之同他定位于象征界的罪疚 (guilt)形成对照 (Lacan, 1956b: 272-3)。“焦虑，正如我们知道的那样，总是关联于某种丧失…关联于在濒临消隐之际由其他事物所接替的某种双边关系，以至于病人无法不带眩晕地去面对此种事物。”（Lacan, 1956b:273)

‌‌‌‌　　在1956一1957年度的研讨班上，拉康继续在其讨论恐怖症 (PHOBIA)的语境中进一步发展了他的焦虑理论。拉康认为，焦虑是主体不惜任何代价以试图避免的那种根本性的危险，而且在精神分析中所遇到的各种主体性的构形，从恐怖症到恋物癖，皆是对抗焦虑的防护 (S4,23)。焦虑因而存在于所有神经症性的结构，但在恐怖症中尤其显著 (E, 321)。即便是恐怖症也比焦虑更为可取 (S4,345): 至少，恐怖症用恐惧（恐惧聚焦于某种特殊的对象，并因而可以被象征性地修通）取代了焦虑（焦虑之所以可怕，恰恰是因为它并未聚焦于某种特殊的对象，而是围绕着某种缺位而运转）(S4,243-6).

‌‌‌‌　　拉康在其有关小汉斯个案 (Freud, 19O9%)的分析中指出，焦虑发生在当主体于想象的前俄狄浦斯三角与俄狄浦斯四元组之间游移不定的时刻上。正是在此一结点上，汉斯在幼儿手淫中感受到了其实在的阴茎：焦虑之所以产生，便是因为他如今可以衡量他因之而得到母亲喜爱的那个东西（即他作为想象的阳具的位置）与他实际上不得不交付的那个东西（即他无足轻重的实在的器官）之间的差异 (S4,243)。焦虑恰恰是因为主体被悬搁在了他不再知道自己置身于何地的时刻与他再也无法重新寻回其自身的未来之间 (S4,226)。借由实在的父亲的阉割性干预，汉斯便有可能从此种焦虑中被解救出来，然而这却并未发生：父亲未能干预进来以便使汉斯同其母亲相分离，故而汉斯便发展出一种恐怖症，作为对于此种干预的替代。从拉康有关小汉斯的说明中再度显现出来的是，引起焦虑的并非是与母亲的分离，而是与母亲分离的失败（S4,319)。因此，阉割非但不是焦虑的首要来源，反而实际上是把主体从焦虑当中解救出来的东西。

‌‌‌‌　　在1960一1961年度的研讨班上，拉康强调了焦虑与欲望之间的关系：焦虑是在对象丢失之时对欲望进行支撑的一种方式，而与此相反，欲望则是对于焦虑的一种补救，是比焦虑本身更易于承受的某种东西 (S8,430)。他还指出，焦虑的来源并非总是内在于主体，而是往往可能来自一个他者，正如焦虑会在兽群中从一只动物传递到别的动物那样；“如果说焦虑是一则信号，那么这便意味着它可能来自一个他者”(S8,427)。这就是为什么分析家必须不让其自身的焦虑干扰到治疗的原因所在，这是他唯一能够满足的一个要求，因为他维系着其自身的某种欲望，即分析家的欲望 (S8,430).

‌‌‌‌　　在1962一1963年度被简单冠以“焦虑”之名的研讨班上，拉康指出，焦虑是一种情感而非一种情绪 (emotion),此外它还是唯一毋庸置疑的非欺骗性的情感 (亦见：S11,41)。尽管弗洛伊德在（聚焦于某一特定对象的）恐惧与（没有任何特定对象的）焦虑之间做出了区分，然而拉康现在则声称焦虑并非没有对象 (n'est passans objet); 它只是涉及一种不同类型的对象，一种无法像所有其他的对象那样以同样的方式来加以象征化的对象。这一对象是对象小a (objet petit a),即欲望的对象因 (object-cause of desire), 而焦虑则发生于当某种事物出现在这个对象的位置上的时候。当主体面对着大他者的欲望，却不知道自己相对于那一欲望而言是怎样的对象的时候，焦虑便会发生。

‌‌‌‌　　同样是在这一期的研讨班中，拉康又把焦虑联系于缺失的概念。所有的欲望皆起因于缺失，而焦虑则发生在当这一缺失本身就是缺失的时候：焦虑是一种缺失的缺失。焦虑并非乳房的缺位，而是其包裹的在场：事实上，正是其缺位的可能性，将我们从焦虑中解救了出来。行动搬演与行动宜泄皆是对抗焦虑的最后防御。

‌‌‌‌　　焦虑同样联系着镜子阶段。即便是在看到自己的镜中映像这样一种往往令人惬意的经验当中，也还是可能会出现镜像遭到修改而突然对我们显得陌生的某种时刻。如此一来，拉康便把焦虑联系于弗洛伊德的“怪怖”(英：uncanny; 德：Unheimliche)概念 (Freud, 1919h).

‌‌‌‌　　尽管1962一1963年度的研讨班主要涉及的是弗洛伊德的第二焦虑理论（即焦虑之为信号），然而在1974一1975年度的研讨班上，拉康则似乎又返回了弗洛伊德的第一焦虑理论（即焦虑之为经过转化的力比多）。因而，他便评论说，焦虑是当身体泛滥着阳具的享乐时存在于身体内部的东西 (Lacan, 1974-5:1974年12月17日的研讨班)。

‌‌‌‌　　(angoisse) Anxiety has long been recognised in psychiatry as one of the most commonsymptoms of mental disorder. Psychiatric descriptions of anxiety generally refer to bothmental phenomena (apprehension, worry) and bodily phenomena (breathlessnes, palpitations, muscle tension, fatigue, dizziness, sweating and tremor). Psychiatrists alsodistinguish between generalised anxiety states, when 'free-floating anxiety'is presentmost of the time, and 'panic attacks', which are 'intermittent episodes of acute anxiety (Hughes,. 1981:48-9).

‌‌‌‌　　The German term employed by Freud (Angst) can have the psychiatric sense describedabove, but is by no means an exclusively technical term, being also in common use inordinary speech. Freud developed two theories of anxiety during the course of his work. From 1884 to 1925 he argued that neurotic anxiety is simply a transformation of sexuallibido that has not been adequately discharged. In 1926, however, he abandoned thistheory and argued instead that anxiety was a reaction to a 'traumatic situation'-anexperience of HELPLESSNESS in the face of an accumulation of excitation that cannotbe discharged. Traumatic situations are precipitated by 'situations of danger'such asbirth, loss of the mother as object, loss of the object's love and, above all, castration. Freud distinguishes between 'automatic anxiety', when the anxiety arises directly as aresult of a traumatic situation, and 'anxiety as signal', when the anxiety is activelyreproduced by the ego as a warning of an anticipated situation of danger.

‌‌‌‌　　Lacan, in his pre-war writings, relates anxiety primarily to the threat of fragmentationwith which the subject is confronted in the mirror stage (see FRAGMENTED BODY). Itis only long after the mirror stage, he argues, that these fantasies of bodilydismemberment coalesce around the penis, giving rise to castration anxiety (Lacan, 1938:44). He also links anxiety with the fear of being engulfed by the devouring mother. This theme (with its distinctly Kleinian tone) remains an important aspect of Lacan'saccount of anxiety thereafter, and marks an apparent difference betweenLacan and Freud: whereas Freud posits that one of the causes of anxiety is separation from themother, Lacan argues that it is precisely a lack of such separation which induces anxiety.

‌‌‌‌　　After 1953, Lacan comes increasingly to articulate anxiety with his concept of the real, a traumatic element which remains external to symbolisation, and hence which lacks anypossible mediation. This real is 'the essential object which isn't an object any longer, butthis something faced with which all words cease and all categories fail, the object ofanxiety par excellence' (S2,164).

‌‌‌‌　　As well as linking anxiety with the real, Lacan also locates it in the imaginary orderand contrasts it with guilt, which he situates in the symbolic (Lacan, 1956b: 272-3).'Anxiety, as we know, is always connected with a loss... With a two-sided relation on thepoint of fading away to be superseded by something else, something which the patientcannot face without vertigo' (Lacan, 1956b:273).

‌‌‌‌　　In the seminar of 1956-7 Lacan goes on to develop his theory of anxiety further, in thecontext of his discussion of PHOBIA. Lacan argues that anxiety is the radical dangerwhich the subject attempts to avoid at all costs, and that the various subjective formationsencountered in psychoanalysis, from phobias to fetishism, are protections against anxiety (S4,23). Anxiety is thus present in all neurotic structures, but is especially evident inphobia (E, 321). Even a phobia is preferable to anxiety (S4,345); a phobia at leastreplaces anxiety (which is terrible precisely because it is not focused on a particularobject but revolves around an absence) with fear (which is focused on a particular objectand thus may be symbolically worked-through)(S4,243-6).

‌‌‌‌　　In his analysis of the case of Little Hans (Freud, 1909b), Lacan argues that anxietyarises at that moment when the subject is poised between the imaginary preoedipaltriangle and the Oedipal quaternary. It is at this junction that Hans's real penis makesitself felt in infantile masturbation; anxiety is produced because he can now measure thedifference between that for which he is loved by the mother (his position as imaginaryphallus) and that which he really has to give (his insignificant real organ)(S4,243). Anxiety is this point where the subject is suspended between a moment where he nolonger knows where he is and a future where he will never again be able to refind himself (S4,226). Hans would have been saved from this anxiety by the castrating intervention ofthe real father, but this does not happen; the father fails to intervene to separate Hansfrom the mother, and thus Hans develops a phobia as a substitute for this intervention. Once again, what emerges from Lacan's account of Little Hans is that it is not separationfrom the mother which gives rise to anxiety, but failure to separate from her (S4,319). Consequently, castration, far from being the principal source of anxiety, is actually whatsaves the subject from anxiety.

‌‌‌‌　　In the seminar of 1960-1 Lacan stresses the relationship of anxiety to desire; anxietyis a way of sustaining desire when the object is missing and, conversely, desire is aremedy for anxiety, something easier to bear than anxiety itself (S8,430). He also arguesthat the source of anxiety is not always internal to the subject, but can often come fromanother, just as it is transmitted from one animal to another in a herd;'if anxiety is asignal, it means it can come from another' (S8,427). This is why the analyst must notallow his own anxiety to interfere with the treatment, a requirement which he is only ableto meet because he maintains a desire ofhis own, the desire ofthe analyst (S8,430).

‌‌‌‌　　In the seminar of 1962-3, entitled simply 'Anxiety', Lacan argues that anxiety is anaffect, not an emotion, and furthermore that it is the only affect which is beyond all doubt, which is not deceptive (see also S11,41). Whereas Freud distinguished betweenfear (which is focused on a specific object) and anxiety (which is not), Lacan now arguesthat anxiety is not without an object (n'est pas sans objet); it simply involves a differentkind of object, an object which cannot be symbolised in the same way as all other objects. This object is objet petit a, the object-cause of desire, and anxiety appears whensomething appears in the place of this object. Anxiety arises when the subject isconfronted by the desire of the Other and does not know what object he is for that desire.

‌‌‌‌　　It is also in this seminar that Lacan links anxiety to the concept of lack. All desirearises from lack, and anxiety arises when this lack is itself lacking; anxiety is the lack of alack. Anxiety is not the absence of the breast, but its enveloping presence; it is thepossibility of its absence which is, in fact, that which saves us from anxiety. Acting outand passage to the act are last defences against anxiety.

‌‌‌‌　　Anxiety is also linked to the mirror stage. Even in the usually comforting experienceof seeing one's reflection in the mirror there can occur a moment when the specularimage is modified and suddenly seems strange to us. In this way, Lacan links anxiety to Freud's concept of the uncanny (Freud, 1919h).

‌‌‌‌　　Whereas the seminar of 1962-3 is largely concerned with Freud's second theory ofanxiety (anxiety as signal), in the seminar of 1974-5 Lacan appears to return to the first Freudian theory of anxiety (anxiety as transformed libido). Thus he comments thatanxiety is that which exists in the interior of the body when the body is overcome withphallic jouissance (Lacan, 1974-5: seminar of 17 December 1974).