The Dark Side of the Law. A Psychoanalytical Perspective

Abstract

The following contribution is a reflection on the nature of the law, its hidden aspects and its dark side. Some authors note an implicit aspect of revenge in the legal system, thus highlighting how aspects of violence and coercion are involved in the symbolic function of the law that go beyond any rational and real need for control and deterrence. Using a Lacanian psychoanalytic approach, and accompanying philosophical and anthropological data, this article attempts to expand on the topic by referring to the type of ideological and associative crimes, where the latent link between law, crime and superego comes to light.