As the original Blade Runner movie (Scott, 1982) draws to an end, the protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) brutally attacks the lead female character, Rachael Tyrell (Sean Young). The distressing assault transitions into the two making love. Rick’s desire to determine if Rachael is human rather than replicant triggers the fight. Albeit hyperbolic, the scene dramatically illustrates the type of violation inherent in realizing personhood.
It took psychoanalysis nearly a half-century to relinquish the original Freudian idea that infants start their journey into personhood in isolation. Freud (1914) initially proposed that infant’s bundles of instinctual drives, namely their Ids, attach to their individual Egos, without consideration of context. It was an absurd concept, but one consistent with the scientism dominant in the early 1900s. Freud sought to understand individuals like physicists tried to understand atoms.
Since the mid-20th century, most psychoanalysts and developmental psychologists agree that infants exist in a kind of merger state with their caregivers. Yes, they are individual organisms, but their existence completely depends on others. In the first few months of life, infants have little sense of themselves as persons. The pediatrician turned psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicott (1992), controversially proclaimed that:
there is no such thing as a baby. (p. 99)
In its place, Winnicott thought, are only “mother-infant units.” Babies are born with potential for a true self, meaning a unique, authentic personality. However, such singularities only develop in the context of a holding environment provided by the caregiver(s). Personhood then gradually evolves as infants progress into toddlers, teenagers, young adults, and beyond.
However, and the key point of this week’s newsletter, emergence into personhood necessarily requires conflict with others. The idea predates psychoanalysis by a century, and was raised by the German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel (1807/1977). Just how do these developmental concepts relate to the sexual assault scene in Blade Runner? Because as the self or ego develops, conflict becomes a key feature in creating personhood. According to Hegel, primitive egos, which he called “self-consciousnesses,”
exist only in being acknowledged. (Paragraph 178)
Translation:
Much like the Self = (M)other equation promoted by Lacan (1978) two centuries later, the self needs an “other” to exist. Selves must be acknowledged by others. The need for recognition seems obvious. But, Hegel goes further, specifically emphasizing that battle-like encounters create personhood. Consider, for example, a six-month-old infant crying out in hunger, frustrated her caregiver is not immediately available. Even that interaction involves a collision. The caregiver will react emotionally, perhaps with concern, irritation, exhaustion, eagerness, or even envy. Ergo, conflicts occur from the get-go.
As babies slowly progress into adulthood, the lifelong wrestling matches continue. They realize they have their own needs, values, and wishes. Something close to horror occurs when they realize others have self-consciousnesses. They feel, in a sense, violated by these differences. If they submit to excess, they risk giving away too much of themselves. They may feel sad, deprived. If they dominate, they insufficiently care for others. They may feel guilt or shame. No amount of narcissism, unless literally reaching psychotic proportions, can prevent degrees of surrender or sovereignty.
Thus, the perennial dance of ethics begins, and then continues throughout life.
Values live at the core of our beings. How much should I sacrifice for my ill friend? How much attention do I deserve from him as he feels better? If visiting grandchildren in another city, how much time should I spend with them as opposed to working on my own projects? These ethical questions form the foundation of human existence.
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