ABSTRACT
On an Ex Post Facto Syllabary is Lacan’s postscript to his essay, In memory of Ernest Jones: On his theory of symbolism. In Syllabary, Lacan takes up Silberer’s theory of symbolism and juxtaposes it with his own understanding of the symbolic, which highlights the importance of the signifier in the formation of dreams and their interpretation. For Lacan, the symbol must be understood in relation to other signifiers; however Silberer interprets dreams as if they were based on a symbolism that is real, concrete, and natural. In Syllabary, Lacan explains how three theorists—Silberer, Jung, and Jones in his argument—fail to grasp the importance of the signifier and do not differentiate between symbol and signifier; thus their ideas lack veracity and clinical significance. In this essay Lacan also differentiates between hermeneutics and psychoanalysis. Ultimately for Lacan, a truly psychoanalytic approach is one that stays true to the importance of the signifier in the formations of the unconscious. The chapter connects the ideas in Syllabary to the rest of Lacan’s oeuvre and discusses in detail the literature that Lacan takes up in his essay.
