英：complex; 法：complexe; 德：Komplex
“情结”这个术语在拉康1950年以前的著作中占据着一个重要的位置，它在那里被紧密联系于意象 (MAGO)。意象指的是联系于某人的一种想象性刻板，而情结则是由相互作用的若干意象组成的整个群集：它是主体最早的那些社会结构（即其家庭环境中的各个人物之间的种种关系）的内化。一个情结便涉及对所有这些相互作用的意象的多重性认同，并因而提供了一个剧本，导致主体按照这个剧本“作为唯一的演员去演出”其家庭成员之间的“那些冲突的戏剧”(Ec, 90).
拉康在其“二战”前的著作中认为，正是因为人类的心理乃立基于那些完全是文化性产物的情结，而非立基于那些自然性的本能 (NSTINCTS), 所以人类的行为便不能通过参照于那些生物学的给定事实来解释。不过，在拉康闸明情结与本能之间的此种鲜明对比时，他也同样认识到情结可以被比作本能，因为它们补偿了人类婴儿的本能性不充分 (insuf压isance vitale), 并指出这些情结是依靠诸如断奶之类的生物学功能来维持的 (Lacan, 1938:32-3).
在1938年，拉康鉴别出了三种“家庭情结”(familycomplexes), 其中的每一种情结都是伴随着一个“生活危机”的“精神危机”的痕迹。这些情结中的第一个是断奶情结 (complexe dusevrag©)。拉康采用了最早由勒内·拉弗格'在1920年代提出的“断奶创伤”(trauma of weaning)的概念，并指出无论断奶发生得多么晚，它都会被幼儿感知为过早地到来。
无论存在创伤性与否，断奶都会在人类的精神中对它所打断的那一生物性联系留下一道永久的痕迹。这一生活的危机实际上伴随着一个精神的危机，而其最初的解决办法毫无疑问具有一种辩证的结构。(Lacan, 1938:27)
继断奶情结之后到来的是闯入情结 (complexe de I'intrusion), 此情结代表着孩子在认识到自己有兄弟姐妹时所具有的经验。于是，孩子便必须应对这样一个事实，即他不再是其父母关注的唯一对象。第三个也是最后一个家庭情结俄狄浦斯情结（OEDIPUSCOMPLEX)
在“断奶情结”与“闯入情结”出现于1938年的文章之后，这些术语便几乎完全从拉康的著作中消失了 (虽然在1950年对它们有处简短的提及，但是少有其他了：Ec, 141)。然而，俄狄浦斯情结仍然是一个贯穿始终的基本参照点，而这一点又在拉康从1956年开始对阉割情结 (CASTRATION COMPLEX)日益增加的兴趣中得到了补充。
(complexe) The term 'complex'occupies an important place in Lacan's work before1950, where it is closely related to the IMAGO. Whereas the imago designates animaginary stereotype relating to one person, the complex is a whole constellation ofinteracting images; it is the internalisation of the subject's earliest social structures (i.e.the relationships between the various actors in his family environment). A complexinvolves multiple identifications with all the interacting images, and thus provides ascript according to which the subject is led 'to play out, as the sole actor, the drama ofconflicts'between the members of his family (Ec, 90).
In his pre-war work, Lacan argues that it is because human psychology is based on thecomplexes, which are entirely cultural products, rather than on natural INSTINCTS, thathuman behaviour cannot be explained by reference to biological givens. Nevertheless, while drawing this explicit contrast between complexes and instincts, Lacan alsorecognises that complexes may be compared to instincts in that they make up for theinstinctual inadequacy (insuffisance vitale) of the human infant, and argues that thecomplexes are propped on biological functions such as weaning (Lacan, 1938:32-3).
In 1938 Lacan identifies three 'family complexes', each of which is the trace of a'psychical crisis'which accompanies a 'life crisis'. The first of these complexes is theweaning complex (complexe du sevrage). Taking up the idea of a 'trauma of weaning', first developed by Rene Laforgue in the 1920s, Lacan argues that no matter how lateweaning occurs, it is always perceived by the infant as coming too early.
Whether traumatic or not, weaning leaves in the human psyche apermanent trace of the biological relation which it interrupts. This lifecrisis is in effect accompanied by a psychical crisis, without doubt the firstwhose solution has a dialectical structure.
(Lacan, 1938:27)
After the weaning complex comes the intrusion complex (complexe de /'intrusion), whichrepresents the experience that the child has when he realises that he has siblings. Thechild must then cope with the fact that he is no longer the exclusive object ofhis parents'attention. The third and final family complex is the OEDIPUS COMPLEX.
After their appearance in the 1938 paper, the terms 'weaning complex'and 'intrusioncomplex'disappear almost completely from Lacan's work (there is a brief reference tothem in 1950, but little else; Ec, 141). However, the Oedipus complex remains afundamental reference point throughout, and this is complemented by a growing interest, from 1956 on, in the CASTRATION COMPLEX.