Feminine multiplicity and transgression of the one in Luce Irigaray: a psychoanalytic analysis

Abstract

Luce Irigaray’s work is an important milestone in the intersection between psychoanalysis and gender studies, challenging traditional conceptions of female sexuality and gender identity. This article aims to analyze, through a psychoanalytic reading, the Irigarayan criticism of patriarchy and phallic logic as predominant in psychoanalysis and social discourse. Irigaray proposes a new language that recognizes the specificity and multiplicity of the female experience. The methodology chosen for this study was a bibliographical review, based mainly on Irigaray’s texts, as well as works by Freud and Lacan on the psychoanalytic theory of the feminine. The analysis focused on deconstructing the notions established by these theories, particularly exploring the work This sex that is not one: sexuality and social status of women by Irigaray. The main results of this study indicate that Irigaray, through her criticism, exposes the limitations and biases of traditional psychoanalysis, which tend to marginalize or distort the female experience. Thus, the author argues that psychoanalysis, by adopting a phallic logic, ignores the diversity and complexity of female subjectivity. She proposes a reassessment of the theoretical foundations of psychoanalysis and gender studies to develop a new language that values ​​the specificity of the female experience and that has significant implications for clinical practices and gender policies. In this context, the importance of Irigaray’s contribution stands out, which not only challenges traditional theories, but also tensions psychoanalysis and gender studies, paving the way for a deeper and more inclusive understanding of female subjectivity. Irigaray’s critique of patriarchy and phallic logic represents an invitation for an ongoing reevaluation of psychoanalytic theories, promoting a discourse that recognizes and celebrates the multiplicity of female experiences.