ABSTRACT
Judith Butler is in the center of the productive debate established between psychoanalysis and gender studies. The philosopher appeals to some psychoanalytic theories, but criticizes certain psychoanalytical references. In this article, we reexamine these criticisms resorting to Lacan's theory of the Real and the formulas of sexuation. We suggest that Butler's notes require an understanding of the symbolic order which identifies three instances: kinship systems; genres of relation to the phallus; and juissance modalities. In our view, this understanding of sexual difference, dualistic and complementary, is reviewed by Lacan´s theory of juissance disparity. We also argue that the theory of discourse, in which man and woman are taken as semblant, brings innovative perspectives to sexual difference research.
Keywords:
sexual difference; psychoanalysis; gender studies; real