The proper name and its letters

Proper names (first name and surname) serve a structuring function for cultural life and the constitution of subjective reality, much like a mirror image. Surprisingly, this topic has been treated rather neglectfully by the social and linguistic sciences, as well as by history, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. However, interesting evidence of the fundamental importance of proper names and their letters for each subject can be found in fiction and psychoanalytic case reports. Peter Widmer makes this material fruitful for the psychoanalysis of Freud and Lacan.