Exploration of the Iranian Subject’s Hystericization in Recent Decades: A Lacanian Approach

The numerous social protests in Iran over recent decades indicate underlying societal issues. As a descriptive–analytical inquiry, the present study relied on Lacanian theory to address the question as to why the Iranian subject has become hysterical, expressing discontent through active protests in the past decade. Lacan attributes agency to the unconscious rather than the ego, suggesting that the subject extends beyond mere human dimensions. His theories are not merely considered as psychoanalytic techniques; instead, Lacan theorizes at an ontological level by introducing concepts such as fantasy and anamorphic reality. Rejecting the essentialist conception of human subjectivity, Lacanian theory offers fresh insights into the relationship between individual desires and social goals.

The present study adopted a descriptive–analytical method which depicts the existing reality as well as describes and explains its underlying reasons, dealing with the rational and dimensions of the research topic. During the descriptive phase, a theoretical framework was formulated to provide a robust base of argumentation in order to explain the underlying reasons. In the analytical phase, empirical details concerning the problem of the study were juxtaposed with general theoretical propositions to draw conclusions. The descriptive–analytical method is characterized by the researcher’s non-interference in the situation, conditions, or roles of variables; rather, they merely observe and describe what exists without manipulating or controlling other factors.

Lacan’s conceptual framework elucidates that a new Iranian subject was constructed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The divine Shia nation and ancient Iranian elements represented inherent gaps in the constitutive elements of the new subjectivity. The transformed nature of the ideological-cum-fantasy structure in Iranian society sought to conceal the gap, which was to be solidified by promoting divine sovereignty over the people. Maintaining this fantasy required a cause of desire, which is termed here as Object-A. The Iraq–Iran War in the 80s, the nuclearization project in the 2000s and the defense of holy shrines after 2010 served the role of Object-A. However, the reforms of the 90s failed to introduce Object-A, which is regarded as a symptom of fantasy. Upon the ascent of the tenth Iranian government in the 2000s, the government’s failure in the economic realm, coupled with specific cultural and political events, eroded the capability of the said fantasy in satisfying and persuading the people. As the fantasy weakened, the symbolic–social domain was rendered invalid, revealing an apparent gap between the real and symbolic and thus hystericizing the Iranian subject.

The analysis showed that noticeable economic and social deficiencies have render the ideological fantasy as dysfunctional after the Revolution, thus not satisfying the Iranian subject anymore. As a result, the Iranian subject challenges the Master’s discourse—rather than conforming to it—actively striving to construct a new fantasy. The Islamic Revolution, as the quilting point or the point de capiton in Lacan’s terminology, has been significantly compromised due to profound economic and social challenges of Iranian society. This damage stems from a gap in the Iranian subject which in turn results from the weakened dominant ideological–symbolic fantasy. This vulnerability is particularly pronounced among the youth of the 2000s, who—lacking a suitable model to ignore some of their jouissance—are driven more by the pursuit of pleasure than by reality. The norm-breaking behavior among the youth can be seen as a consequence of this phenomenon. The power structure in Iran had better rearticulate and present a model appropriate for the emerging conditions, instead of relying on coercive measures. The failure of Iran’s guidance patrol (Gasht-e Ershad) serves as a prominent example in this context. By examining the series of post-2010 events (from protests against financial institutions to the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini), it appears that the Iranian subject has profoundly questioned the prevailing fantasy, thus being hystericized in Lacanian terms. To stop this trend necessitates reformulating and presenting an appropriate fantasy to appease the subject.