Formalizing Lacanian Psychoanalysis Through the Free Energy Principle

Lingyu LiChunbo Li^*

• Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

This paper presents a computational formalization of Lacanian psychoanalysis through the lens of free energy principle (FEP) -a theoretical framework for modeling self-organizing systems across multiple scales. We first examine the theoretical compatibility between the two frameworks, including their shared (1) Kantian epistemological foundations regarding the unknowability of reality, (2) constructive nature of internal representational systems, (3) non-linear temporal dynamics combining prediction and retrospection, and (4) emphasis on representation failures as driving forces. Building on these convergences, we develop a computational framework that implements core Lacanian concepts through the FEP approach. Through multi-level simulations, this framework captures the interdependence of three orders as a message-passing network, formalizes desire as generalized synchronization between subjects' Symbolic orders, and models the Other through collective dynamics. This FEP reformulation transforms obscure Lacanian concepts into computationally tractable forms, establishing a bridge between Lacanian psychoanalytic insights and cognitive science.