ABSTRACT
In Lacan's (1977, 1998) seminars on vision, the meaning of the gaze appears to undergo a constant shift. Several authors (e.g., Ragland, 1995; Jay, 1993; Feldstein, 1995) posit that the gaze occupies four distinct positions in these seminars, corresponding to four different interpretations of Lacan's notoriously elusive object a. I will provide a brief overview of these four theoretical perspectives on the gaze: (1) the gaze as a lost object, (2) the gaze as a substitute object, (3) the gaze as a cause of attraction, and (4) the gaze as a cause of separation. The latter two will be discussed in greater detail before finally examining the transition between the four positions within the context of the drive and desire circuit.
