Or ... The Interminable Analysis: Ethics, Identity, and the Discourse of the Analyst in The Authors of Silence
Or ... The Interminable Analysis and the Recalcitrance of Personal and Cultural Demons
As an analyst, scholar, songwriter, and playwright, my work often finds itself entangled with questions of ethics, identity, and the complexities of inhabiting particular discourses—particularly the discourse of the analyst. In this blog, I aim to explore why these questions matter deeply to me and how they resonate through my work in The Authors of Silence. Writing this post allows me to confront the challenges of representing voices as distinct as Sigmund Freud’s and Sally Hemings’ while wrestling with the ethical implications of taking up the discourses I associate with the voices. It also provides a space to reflect on the broader implications of analysis as an interminable process—both individually and culturally—as it intersects with my ethics of care and my insistence on acknowledging intergenerational pathologies.
Analysis as Interminable: A Reflection on the Analyst’s Position
Freud famously remarked on the interminability of analysis, a notion that I take seriously not only in my clinical practice but also in my teaching and broader philosophical and creative work. Analysis, as I see it, is never complete—neither for the patient nor for the analyst, nor even for the teacher. For the analyst, the process is complicated by the transference dynamic in which the patient projects onto them the identity of the “subject supposed to know.” If the analyst identifies with this projection—whether through the patient’s transference or their own narcissistic countertransference—it risks becoming folly: a belief in mastery or possession of a fully analyzed unconscious. The same danger exists for teachers who may see their role as that of absolute authority, rather than as facilitators of an ongoing and mutual process of discovery.
I do not consider myself a fully analyzed analyst or fully enlightened teacher. This recognition is central to my approach, as it acknowledges the persistent presence of personal and cultural demons—those haunting forces shaped by the unconscious and the cultural systems that sustain it. Freud’s understanding of analysis as interminable resonates deeply with me, particularly in its ethical implications.
A healthy-as-possible connection to an interminably unhealthy Other must be sustained, not simply to avoid disavowing one’s complicity in systemic dynamics, but to confront and challenge the perpetuation of harm embedded in those dynamics—what might be termed the "white mythologies" of systemic oppression. This is not a passive acknowledgment but an active engagement that requires openness to the unconscious through others, inviting the potential for deeper insight and accountability. This interminability is not a limitation but a necessary condition for ethical engagement, reminding us that the work of understanding—both self and culture—is never complete.
Speaking Through Freud and Derrida: Voices of Authority in The Authors of Silence
In The Authors of Silence, I take up the voices of Freud, Derrida, and other characters, recognizing that as the author, all of the characters ultimately speak through my voice. This act is fraught with complexities. Freud, often positioned as the originator of psychoanalysis, carries the weight of his historical context and assumptions about identity, authority, and knowledge. His own reflections on identity—including his acknowledgment of fluidity in sexual orientation—challenge simplistic categorizations like "cisgender" or "heterosexual." More importantly, in the play, Freud embodies the discourse of the analyst, with all its strengths and weaknesses. One of these limitations is explored in my paper, "Let Us Not Forget the Clinic," which critiques the overemphasis on theoretical abstraction at the expense of lived clinical practice.
While Freud represents the discourse of the analyst, Derrida emerges as the voice of deconstruction, offering a critical lens through which to interrogate the very foundations of psychoanalytic authority. Derrida’s engagement with ethics, language, and the undecidable provides a counterpoint to Freud’s interpretive frameworks, highlighting how meaning and authority are always provisional and contested. By speaking through Derrida, I aim to foreground the ethical challenges of authorship and representation, acknowledging the incompleteness and complexity inherent in all interpretive acts.
Freud’s and Derrida’s presences in the play underscore the tension between the unconscious processes they sought to understand and the cultural unconscious that shaped their thinking. These dualities mirror my own position as a white male author and analyst grappling with the systems of privilege and oppression that inform my identity and work, as a clinician, as a teacher, and as an artist. The discourse of the analyst and the discourse of deconstruction, when placed in dialogue, become spaces for interrogating these dynamics—not to resolve them, but to sustain an ongoing ethical engagement with their complexities and contradictions.
Speaking Through and For Sally Hemings: The Ethics of Representation
Sally Hemings, as one of the main characters in The Authors of Silence, adds another layer of complexity, particularly in how the play and course engage with the discourse of the hysteric. Hemings, an enslaved Black woman who was raped by Thomas Jefferson, represents a historical and cultural trauma that continues to reverberate in the present. Assigning the discourse of the hysteric to Hemings is fraught with both ethical challenges and critical significance. This discourse—one that questions, disrupts, and exposes the contradictions of power—is essential to understanding and confronting systemic violence.
However, assigning the discourse of the hysteric to Hemings also risks reinscribing the very silences and erasures it seeks to dismantle, potentially pathologizing Sally Hemings in a manner similar to how framing intergenerational trauma as a pathogen risks pathologizing the victim. This dynamic underscores the tension between addressing systemic harm and unintentionally replicating the reductive frameworks that silence or stigmatize those most affected.
As the author, I must confront how my positionality as a white, cisgender male intersects with the historical and systemic forces that perpetuate Hemings’ silencing. To speak through her is not to assume authority but to engage ethically with the systems that silence her, sustaining a connection to the Other while acknowledging the risks of retraumatization and complicity. This dynamic underscores the necessity of continual reflexivity and accountability in any attempt to represent voices shaped by systemic trauma.
Intergenerational Pathologies and the Ethics of Cyborgian Care
Intergenerational pathologies—the transmission of unresolved trauma, narratives, and relational patterns across generations—remain central to my work. These pathologies shape not only the individual unconscious but also the cultural unconscious, creating cycles of harm that are embedded in systems of power and representation. In The Authors of Silence, these dynamics are examined through speculative dialogues and archival explorations, revealing how unresolved traumas persist in shaping contemporary identities.
The ethics of cyborgian care, which I have developed in my research, provides a framework for engaging with these intergenerational dynamics. By situating AI as a “cultural ego” and the archive as a “cultural unconscious,” I explore how technology both preserves and distorts collective memory. This framework emphasizes the ethical imperative of engaging with technologically mediated systems of care, recognizing the risks of perpetuating systemic inequities while also exploring the potential for recovering marginalized voices. The play dramatizes these tensions, challenging audiences to reflect on their own roles within these systems.
The Interminable Analysis of Culture
Just as analysis is interminable for the individual, so too is it for the culture. The cultural unconscious—shaped by histories of oppression, violence, and silencing—cannot be fully analyzed or resolved. However, this interminability is not a flaw but a condition of ethical engagement, requiring ongoing attention to the systems and structures that shape our collective experiences. In The Authors of Silence, speculative dialogues among figures like Freud, Derrida, and Sally Hemings create a space for confronting the ghosts of history and the unresolved tensions they embody.
This engagement with the cultural unconscious emphasizes the need for sustained accountability and reflection. By resisting the temptation to seek closure or finality, the play models an approach to cultural analysis that prioritizes connection, critique, and the possibility of transformation. The work of understanding—whether personal or cultural—is never complete, but it is through this openness that meaningful change becomes possible.
Conclusion: Sustaining Connection Through Ethical Reflection
The interminability of analysis is not a failure but a necessary condition for sustaining ethical reflection and engagement. In The Authors of Silence, this principle becomes a guiding force for navigating the complexities of identity, ethics, and cultural trauma. By remaining open to the challenges of understanding and connection, the work calls for a continuous interrogation of systems and self.
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