The subject of the spectacle: law and subjectivity in the Age of Image

Abstract

Based on Guy Debord’s concept of the spectacle, complemented by theoretical additions and criticisms from later authors who have studied the technological, social and semiotic transformations of recent years, we will introduce the concept of The Age of the Image to describe the current historical time in which the image becomes not only a hegemonic mean of communication, but also appears as our horizon of ultimate meaning and as guarantee of our social existence. This idea will allow us to propose a reading of current subjectivity from a psychoanalytical point of view that will follow two axes: first, outlining a theory of the Image as a spectacular system, that is, an essay on the symbolic structure of the media as a creator of contemporary reality and subjectivity, and, secondly, we’ll try to understand which ideological imperatives guide this structure, namely, the imperative of imaginary jouissance and appearing on the public scene.