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Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty

January 01, 1970

Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty (French: Présentation de Sacher-Masoch) is a 1967 book by the philosopher Gilles Deleuze, originally published in French as Le Froid et le Cruel (Les Éditions de Minuit, 1967), in which the author philosophically examines the work of the late 19th-century Austrian novelist Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. In the Foreword Deleuze states that Masoch has a particular way of "desexualising love while at the same time sexualizing the entire history of humanity". Deleuze attempts to "cut through" the various forms of expression and content that are the artistic creation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. He also attempts to develop a problematic of masochism in contradistinction to sadism, concluding that the two forms of 'pornology' are non-communicating, and cannot be integrated into Sadomasochistic entity. Deleuze argues that Masochism is something far more subtle and complex than the enjoyment of pain and that Masochism has nothing to do with Sadism.

Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty
Cover of the first edition
AuthorGilles Deleuze
Original titleLe Froid et le Cruel
TranslatorJean McNeil and Aude Willm
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
SubjectLeopold von Sacher-Masoch
Published
  • 1967 (Editions de Minuit, in French)
  • 1989 (Zone Books, in English)
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages293 (Zone Books edition)
ISBN978-0942299557
Preceded byLe Bergsonisme (1966) 
Followed byDifférence et répétition (1968) 

Contents edit

The Language of Sade and Masoch edit

Deleuze starts off by first moving from the clinical practice of associating proper names to diseases (Parkinson's and Roger's disease for instance). However, sometimes it is the patient's name that denotes the illness, as in the case of Masochism and Sadism. History of medicine, says Deleuze, can be regarded as a history of the illness (leprosy, plague) that dies and changes over time, and a history of the symptomatology. However, it is difficult to attribute a disease to Sade and Masoch, but a symptomatology and signs that they describe. It is no longer a matter of pain and sexual pleasure only but of bondage and humiliation as well. Therefore, the project is one that moves beyond the purely clinical realm.

However, the differences in Sade and Masoch are not of complementarity but of constituting completely different worlds. Sade uses a language of descriptions that aim at demonstration, whereas Masoch uses the description for a higher function, one of persuasion and education.

The Three Women edit

The three women in Masoch are the 1) primitive, uterine or hetaeric mother, 2) the punishing, Oedipal mother and 3) the nurturing oral mother. Masochism is the constant revolution around this constellation of mother images. It is the quest for the oral mother through the hetaeric and Oedipal mothers. This is achieved by inducing the hetaeric mother to betray and provoking the Oedipal mother to punish. Once in betrayal and under torture, the masochist seeks the oral mother.

Father and Mother edit

Deleuze also distinguishes between attitudes towards the paternal and maternal images in the two systems. In sadism, the Father's face is trampled over in a kind of rebellion that replaces the power figure with its own power, whereas the masochist turns the face away from the Father towards the mother, in a kind of rebellion that de-emphasises the power figure in favour of its opposite.

The Art of Masoch edit

In the Art of Masoch, Deleuze explains his notions of Irony and Humour, Contract and Ritual, and the differences between the sadistic superego and masochistic ego.

Reception edit

Ronald Bogue writes that while Deleuze addresses traditional literary questions in Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty his primary concern is to "delineate the system of thought that informs the corpus" of Sacher-Masoch's works. According to Bogue, "Deleuze tries to revive the reputation of Sacher-Masoch, a celebrated and prolific novelist of the 1870s and 1880s now remembered only as the eponymous exemplar of masochism, by demonstrating that Sacher-Masoch is an astute psychologist and a profound thinker whose works...articulate a perverse idealism aimed at a subversion of the Kantian conception of law." He comments that Deleuze's study of Sacher-Masoch is "highly suggestive from both a psychoanalytic and a critical perspective" but that it is most significant for demonstrating how "writers can reconfigure the relationship between literature and philosophy."[1]

The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan described it as "undoubtedly the best text that has ever been written" on masochism.[2]

The critic Camille Paglia expressed a favorable view of Masochism, commenting that she "liked Gilles Deleuze's book on masochism".[3]

Sexuality historian Alison M. Moore notes that Masoch was displeased to have a psychiatric category named after him by Richard von Krafft-Ebing, and that Deleuze conflates this psychiatric labelling imposed upon Masoch and his works by the prevailing alienist lines of thought of the nineteenth century with Masoch's own view of his desire as 'super-sensualism'.[4][5]

References edit

  1. ^ Bogue, Ronald. Deleuze and Guattari. Routledge, 1989, p. 35.
  2. ^ Sigler, David (2011). ""read Mr. Sacher-Masoch": The Literariness of Masochism in the Philosophy of Jacques Lacan and Gilles Deleuze". Criticism. 53 (2): 189–212. doi:10.1353/crt.2011.0014. ISSN 0011-1589. JSTOR 23131567. S2CID 170120955.
  3. ^ Paglia, Camille. Vamps and Tramps: New Essays. Penguin Books, 1995, p. 232.
  4. ^ Alison Moore, Recovering Difference in the Deleuzian Dichotomy of Masochism-without-Sadism. Angelaki 14 (3), November 2009, 27-43.
  5. ^ Alison M. Moore, Sexual Myths of Modernity: Sadism, Masochism and Historical Teleology. Lanham: Lexington Books [Rowman & Littlefield], 2015. ISBN 978-0-7391-3077-3

Further reading edit

  • Deleuze, Gilles (1991) Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty & Venus in Furs Translated from French by Jean McNeil and Aude Willm. New York: Zone Books. ISBN 978-0942299557.
  • Moore, Alison (2016) Sexual Myths of Modernity: Sadism, Masochism and Historical Teleology. Lanham: Lexington Books [Rowman & Littlefield]. ISBN 978-0-7391-3077-3

January 01, 1970
masochism, coldness, cruelty, french, présentation, sacher, masoch, 1967, book, philosopher, gilles, deleuze, originally, published, french, froid, cruel, Éditions, minuit, 1967, which, author, philosophically, examines, work, late, 19th, century, austrian, no. Masochism Coldness and Cruelty French Presentation de Sacher Masoch is a 1967 book by the philosopher Gilles Deleuze originally published in French as Le Froid et le Cruel Les Editions de Minuit 1967 in which the author philosophically examines the work of the late 19th century Austrian novelist Leopold von Sacher Masoch In the Foreword Deleuze states that Masoch has a particular way of desexualising love while at the same time sexualizing the entire history of humanity Deleuze attempts to cut through the various forms of expression and content that are the artistic creation of Leopold von Sacher Masoch He also attempts to develop a problematic of masochism in contradistinction to sadism concluding that the two forms of pornology are non communicating and cannot be integrated into Sadomasochistic entity Deleuze argues that Masochism is something far more subtle and complex than the enjoyment of pain and that Masochism has nothing to do with Sadism Masochism Coldness and CrueltyCover of the first editionAuthorGilles DeleuzeOriginal titleLe Froid et le CruelTranslatorJean McNeil and Aude WillmCountryFranceLanguageFrenchSubjectLeopold von Sacher MasochPublished1967 Editions de Minuit in French 1989 Zone Books in English Media typePrint Hardcover and Paperback Pages293 Zone Books edition ISBN978 0942299557Preceded byLe Bergsonisme 1966 Followed byDifference et repetition 1968 Contents 1 Contents 1 1 The Language of Sade and Masoch 1 2 The Three Women 1 3 Father and Mother 1 4 The Art of Masoch 2 Reception 3 References 4 Further readingContents editThe Language of Sade and Masoch edit Deleuze starts off by first moving from the clinical practice of associating proper names to diseases Parkinson s and Roger s disease for instance However sometimes it is the patient s name that denotes the illness as in the case of Masochism and Sadism History of medicine says Deleuze can be regarded as a history of the illness leprosy plague that dies and changes over time and a history of the symptomatology However it is difficult to attribute a disease to Sade and Masoch but a symptomatology and signs that they describe It is no longer a matter of pain and sexual pleasure only but of bondage and humiliation as well Therefore the project is one that moves beyond the purely clinical realm However the differences in Sade and Masoch are not of complementarity but of constituting completely different worlds Sade uses a language of descriptions that aim at demonstration whereas Masoch uses the description for a higher function one of persuasion and education The Three Women edit The three women in Masoch are the 1 primitive uterine or hetaeric mother 2 the punishing Oedipal mother and 3 the nurturing oral mother Masochism is the constant revolution around this constellation of mother images It is the quest for the oral mother through the hetaeric and Oedipal mothers This is achieved by inducing the hetaeric mother to betray and provoking the Oedipal mother to punish Once in betrayal and under torture the masochist seeks the oral mother Father and Mother edit Deleuze also distinguishes between attitudes towards the paternal and maternal images in the two systems In sadism the Father s face is trampled over in a kind of rebellion that replaces the power figure with its own power whereas the masochist turns the face away from the Father towards the mother in a kind of rebellion that de emphasises the power figure in favour of its opposite The Art of Masoch edit In the Art of Masoch Deleuze explains his notions of Irony and Humour Contract and Ritual and the differences between the sadistic superego and masochistic ego Reception editRonald Bogue writes that while Deleuze addresses traditional literary questions in Masochism Coldness and Cruelty his primary concern is to delineate the system of thought that informs the corpus of Sacher Masoch s works According to Bogue Deleuze tries to revive the reputation of Sacher Masoch a celebrated and prolific novelist of the 1870s and 1880s now remembered only as the eponymous exemplar of masochism by demonstrating that Sacher Masoch is an astute psychologist and a profound thinker whose works articulate a perverse idealism aimed at a subversion of the Kantian conception of law He comments that Deleuze s study of Sacher Masoch is highly suggestive from both a psychoanalytic and a critical perspective but that it is most significant for demonstrating how writers can reconfigure the relationship between literature and philosophy 1 The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan described it as undoubtedly the best text that has ever been written on masochism 2 The critic Camille Paglia expressed a favorable view of Masochism commenting that she liked Gilles Deleuze s book on masochism 3 Sexuality historian Alison M Moore notes that Masoch was displeased to have a psychiatric category named after him by Richard von Krafft Ebing and that Deleuze conflates this psychiatric labelling imposed upon Masoch and his works by the prevailing alienist lines of thought of the nineteenth century with Masoch s own view of his desire as super sensualism 4 5 References edit Bogue Ronald Deleuze and Guattari Routledge 1989 p 35 Sigler David 2011 read Mr Sacher Masoch The Literariness of Masochism in the Philosophy of Jacques Lacan and Gilles Deleuze Criticism 53 2 189 212 doi 10 1353 crt 2011 0014 ISSN 0011 1589 JSTOR 23131567 S2CID 170120955 Paglia Camille Vamps and Tramps New Essays Penguin Books 1995 p 232 Alison Moore Recovering Difference in the Deleuzian Dichotomy of Masochism without Sadism Angelaki 14 3 November 2009 27 43 Alison M Moore Sexual Myths of Modernity Sadism Masochism and Historical Teleology Lanham Lexington Books Rowman amp Littlefield 2015 ISBN 978 0 7391 3077 3Further reading editDeleuze Gilles 1991 Masochism Coldness and Cruelty amp Venus in Furs Translated from French by Jean McNeil and Aude Willm New York Zone Books ISBN 978 0942299557 Moore Alison 2016 Sexual Myths of Modernity Sadism Masochism and Historical Teleology Lanham Lexington Books Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 0 7391 3077 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Masochism Coldness and Cruelty amp oldid 1186813573, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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