The Dark Continent of Childhood

T h e r e i s n o w w i t h i n t h e social a n d political o r d e r a specific p r o b l e m o f c h i l d h o o d .

A p r o b l e m i n s e p a r a b l e f r o m t h o s e of sexuality, d r u g s , v i o l e n c e , h a t r e d a n d all t h e
i n s o l u b l e p r o b l e m s p o s e d b y social e x c l u s i o n . Like s o m a n y o t h e r areas, c h i l d h o o d
a n d a d o l e s c e n c e are t o d a y b e c o m i n g spaces d o o m e d b y a b a n d o n m e n t t o m a r g i n ality a n d d e l i n q u e n c y .
T h e n e w s offers a daily c h r o n i c l e o f this v i o l e n c e : a d o l e s c e n t s m u r d e r i n g t h e i r
p a r e n t s , v i o l e n c e o f c h i l d r e n against o t h e r c h i l d r e n , v i o l e n c e a m o n g i n n e r city
y o u t h , this latter still t a k i n g a relatively socialized f o r m in gangs. B u t t h e r e are also
cases o f p u r e l y i n d i v i d u a l ' a c t i n g o u t ' ( w i t h t h e y o u n g s t e r f r o m C u e r s , a c h i l d has
for t h e first t i m e e n t e r e d t h e annals o f mass killers). All t h e s e e p i s o d e s are i n e x plicable i n s i m p l e p s y c h o l o g i c a l , social o r m o r a l t e r m s . T h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g else
g o i n g o n h e r e , w h i c h arises o u t o f t h e v e r y b r e a k d o w n o f t h e b i o l o g i c a l a n d s y m bolic orders.
T o b e g i n w i t h , t h e status o f b i r t h has b e e n t u r n e d u p s i d e d o w n (after t h e status
o f d e a t h , w h i c h i s u n r e c o g n i z a b l e t o d a y i n p r o p e r l y h u m a n t e r m s ) . Artificial i n s e m i n a t i o n i n all its f o r m s , g e n e t i c c o n t r o l a n d m a n i p u l a t i o n : e v e r y w h e r e b i r t h seems

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i n d a n g e r o f b e i n g deflected f r o m its n a t u r a l d e s t i n y i n t o a n artificial o n e . T h e l i q u i d a t i o n in t h e l o n g t e r m of a familial, sexual genesis, of a psychical a n d b i o l o g i c a l

begetting. It is the e n d of the child as bearer n o t only of the duality of a m a n and
a w o m a n , b u t t h e d u a l i t y of a past a n d a future, w h i c h a l o n e creates a m e m o r y . As
a result, t h e child b e c o m e s a t e c h n i c a l p e r f o r m a n c e , a m i n i - e x t e n s i o n of t h e p a r ents, rather than a g e n u i n e 'other'. A sort of b y - p r o d u c t of an incestuous
d o u b l i n g - u l t i m a t e l y n o t u n l i k e t h e scissiparity or schizogenesis of p r o t o z o a c o n c e i v e d a s a n ideal o u t g r o w t h i n y o u r i m a g e : t h e c l o n e - c h i l d , w h o s e p r o d u c t i o n
from t h e D N A o f a single o n e o f y o u r cells i s c u r r e n t l y b e i n g p l a n n e d . A s a t e c h nical o p e r a t i o n this is as yet s o m e w a y off, b u t it is already p r e s e n t in t h e scientific
a n d collective i m a g i n a r y - a n d e v e n i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n p a r e n t s a n d t h e i r
children.
In fact, t h e child is no l o n g e r a child. C h i l d r e n are s u b s t i t u t e b e i n g s , w h o are
l o s i n g t h e i r n a t u r a l o t h e r n e s s a n d e n t e r i n g u p o n a satellite e x i s t e n c e o n t h e artificial o r b i t o f s a m e n e s s . T h e y will find i t i n c r e a s i n g l y difficult t o d e t a c h t h e m s e l v e s ;
t o find, n o t t h e i r i d e n t i t y a n d t h e i r a u t o n o m y a s t h e y are c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g t o l d
t h e y m u s t b u t t h e i r distance a n d t h e i r s t r a n g e n e s s . T h e m o r e g e n e t i c h e r e d i t y i s
f o r e g r o u n d e d , t h e m o r e t h e s y m b o l i c h e r i t a g e disappears. E v e n t h e O e d i p a l d r a m a
i s n o t played o u t a n y l o n g e r . T h e r e i s n o l o n g e r a n y r e s o l u t i o n o f c h i l d h o o d , since
the psychical and symbolic

conditions

of childhood no

longer even

exist.

C h i l d h o o d is l o s i n g e v e n t h e c h a n c e of s u r p a s s i n g a n d d e n y i n g itself as s u c h . It is
d i s a p p e a r i n g as a p h a s e in t h e m e t a m o r p h o s i s of t h e h u m a n b e i n g . At t h e s a m e t i m e
as it is losing this distinctive spirit of its o w n a n d its singularity, it is b e c o m i n g a sort
of dark continent.
F o r o t h e r n e s s i n e v i t a b l y r e - e m e r g e s , b u t differently, i n t h e f o r m o f a vast, s h a d y
c o m p l i c i t y on t h e p a r t of a g e n e r a t i o n w h i c h is at last free f r o m a d u l t a t t e n t i o n , b u t
i s n o l o n g e r m i n d e d t o g r o w u p . A n endless, p u r p o s e l e s s a d o l e s c e n c e , w h i c h i s
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a c q u i r i n g a u t o n o m y w i t h n o r e f e r e n c e t o t h e O t h e r , a c q u i r i n g i t for itself a n d
t u r n i n g , i n s o m e cases violently, against t h e O t h e r , against t h e adult w i t h w h o m i t
n o w has n o sense e i t h e r o f d e s c e n d a n c e o r solidarity. T h i s i s n o l o n g e r a s y m b o l i c
b r e a k , b u t a p u r e a n d s i m p l e r e j e c t i o n , w h i c h m a y f i n d e x p r e s s i o n i n a lethal
' a c t i n g o u t ' . A n d i t i s n o t e v e n ' a c t i n g o u t ' , since t h a t still p r e s u p p o s e s t h e i r r u p t i o n o f t h e p h a n t a s m i n t o a real w o r l d , w h e r e a s h e r e w e are d e a l i n g w i t h a n
infantile, q u a s i - h a l l u c i n a t o r y state w h i c h r e a c h e s b a c k b e f o r e t h e reality p r i n c i p l e .
M o r e o v e r , this p r e - r e a l i t y - p r i n c i p l e , infantile state c o i n c i d e s s t r a n g e l y w i t h t h e
w o r l d o f v i r t u a l reality, o u r a d u l t m e d i a w o r l d , t h e p o s t - r e a l i t y - p r i n c i p l e w o r l d , i n
w h i c h t h e real a n d t h e v i r t u a l m e r g e .
T h i s e x p l a i n s t h e s p o n t a n e o u s affinity o f t h e e n t i r e y o u n g e r g e n e r a t i o n w i t h t h e
n e w v i r t u a l t e c h n o l o g i e s . T h e c h i l d has a special r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e i n s t a n t a n e o u s . M u s i c , electronics, d r u g s - all t h e s e things are i m m e d i a t e l y familiar to h i m .
P s y c h e d e l i c isolation d o e s n o t f r i g h t e n h i m . W h e r e real t i m e i s c o n c e r n e d , h e i s
w a y a h e a d o f t h e a d u l t , w h o c a n n o t b u t s e e m a retard t o h i m , j u s t a s i n t h e f i e l d o f
m o r a l values, h e c a n n o t b u t s e e m a fossil.
S o t h e c h i l d e n t e r s a state o f a n o m i e , o f o r g a n i c d e s o c i a l i z a t i o n . B u t e v e n w h e n
' n a t u r a l l y ' p r o d u c e d , h e has b e c o m e a n a n o m a l y . H e i s o u t o f t i m e . T h e c u r r e n t
t e m p o , based o n i m m e d i a c y , a c c e l e r a t i o n , 'real t i m e ' , r u n s precisely c o u n t e r t o g e n e r a t i o n , g e s t a t i o n , t h e t i m e o f b e a r i n g a n d raising, t h e l o n g h a u l i n g e n e r a l , w h i c h
i s t h e d u r a t i o n o f h u m a n c h i l d h o o d . T h e child is, t h e n , logically c o n d e m n e d t o d i s appear. O t h e r m e t h o d s o u g h t t o m a k e i t possible for u s t o d o w i t h o u t this n a t u r a l
m a t u r a t i o n of the h u m a n being, a process w h i c h is so l o n g and the source of so
m a n y n e u r o s e s , o f conflicts w h i c h few m o d e r n c o u p l e s c a n w i t h s t a n d , a n d w h i c h
was d e s i g n e d for a situation o f g e n e r a t i o n a l c o n t i n u i t y , w h e r e t h e r e w e r e l o n g - t e r m
t r a n s g e n e r a t i o n a l rituals i n place. Today, t h e g e n e r a l q u i c k e n i n g o f t h e p a c e o f life
c o n d e m n s childhood to accelerated obsolescence.

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Let u s take s o m e c o m f o r t , h o w e v e r , f r o m t h e fact t h a t t h e r e will always b e c h i l dren, t h o u g h as objects of curiosity or sexual perversion, or compassion, or
p e d a g o g i c a l m a n i p u l a t i o n a n d e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n , or q u i t e s i m p l y as vestiges of a
g e n e a l o g y of living beings - j u s t as t h e r e will always be t h o r o u g h b r e d horses or pets,
o r w o r k s o f art, a s p r o t e c t e d species o r reserves, e v e n w h e n t h e n a t u r a l species l o n g
since d i e d o u t . T h e y will b e p r e s e r v e d i n t h e s a m e w a y a s animals, w h i c h will s o o n
have n o o t h e r p u r p o s e t h a n t o b e p r e s e r v e d a n d k e p t i n m u s e u m s a s traces o f t h e
genesis o f m a n ( m a n h i m s e l f b e i n g d e s t i n e d for t h e status o f future r e m n a n t i n a
w o r l d o f c l o n e s ) . S o t h e child, t h e c h i l d c o n c e p t , will b e fetishized. I t already is:
idealized a n d fetishized as a vestige of a species w h o s e r e p r o d u c t i o n b e c o m e p r o gressively a t e c h n i c a l o p e r a t i o n no l o n g e r in a n y sense involves a s e x e d destiny,
n o r t h e m a r v e l l o u s l y a c c i d e n t a l p r o d u c t o f t h a t destiny, t h e child.
You only have to look at the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child,
a d o p t e d b y t h e U N , t o k n o w t h a t c h i l d h o o d i s already a n e n d a n g e r e d species: ' I can
say n o . . . I h a v e t h e r i g h t t o k n o w w h o I a m . . . I h a v e t h e r i g h t t o suitable a n d
b a l a n c e d f o o d . . . E v e r y o n e m u s t p r o t e c t me against m e n t a l a n d physical v i o l e n c e . . . I have t h e r i g h t t o sing, d a n c e , play a n d d e v e l o p m y gifts for m y g r e a t e r
h a p p i n e s s , e t c ' ( N e v e r has t h e r e b e e n a m o r e U b u - e s q u e d e c l a r a t i o n ; m o r e o v e r , i t
m a k e s a m o c k e r y o f c h i l d r e n , t u r n i n g t h e m i n t o p e r f o r m i n g m o n k e y s b y foisting
u p o n t h e m t h e legalistic m a n i a o f adults.)
So c h i l d r e n will be e x o r c i z e d as n a t u r a l b e i n g s , as a n a c h r o n i s t i c survivals f r o m
a n o t h e r age i n a t i m e o f i m m e d i a t e o p t i m a l p e r f o r m a n c e . S i m u l t a n e o u s l y , t h e y
will b e c o m e a w i l d , d e l i n q u e n t , c r i m i n a l species. T h e y w i l l lose t h e b e l i e f t h a t
t h e y are c h i l d r e n , c e a s i n g t o c o m p a r e t h e m s e l v e s p e j o r a t i v e l y w i t h t h e a d u l t
m o d e l . D o u b t l e s s t h e y h a v e always b e e n p o t e n t i a l l y d a n g e r o u s b e i n g s a reality
c o n c e a l e d b y p e d a g o g y a n d t h e m o d e r n , b o u r g e o i s idealization o f c h i l d h o o d a n d
t h e y h a v e always t a k e n r e v e n g e for t h e i r i n f e r i o r i t y i n t h e i r o w n way, t h r o u g h r u s e

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a n d b l a c k m a i l , b u t t h a t s u b o r d i n a t i o n a n d r e v e n g e w e r e m e r e l y relative b e c a u s e
t h e y w e r e always d o o m e d t o d i s a p p e a r w i t h t i m e . B u t n o w i t i s t i m e w h i c h
c h i l d h o o d is n o t g o i n g to have, and t h e evolutionary chain is b r o k e n : t h e child is
g o i n g t o t u r n against t h e a d u l t a s a n a l l - o u t e n e m y H e w i l l b e c o m e t h e O t h e r , all
t h e s a m e , b u t n o w t h e o t h e r a s Alien - a m o n s t e r p r o d u c e d b y t h e b r e a k d o w n i n
the symbolic chain of the generations.
R e a l i t y was t h e reality o f t h e a d u l t ( n o t e v e n this i s t r u e t o d a y w h e n h e i s n o
l o n g e r t h e m a s t e r o f it). C h i l d h o o d , f r o m t h e d e p t h s o f its unreality, t h e d e p t h s o f
its idiotie, w a s o n e of t h e last b a s t i o n s of t h e p o e t i c illusion of t h e w o r l d . Like all
o t h e r f o r m s of illusion, it is d o o m e d to d i s a p p e a r s o o n e r or later - or to lead a
p u r e l y auxiliary e x i s t a n c e . T h i s is t h e c h i l d no l o n g e r in any sense as destiny, as t h e
a c c i d e n t b e a r i n g d e a t h a s w e l l a s j u b i l a t i o n for t h e p a r e n t s , b u t t h e c h i l d a s c o m modity, unfortunately unintegratable i n t o the cycle of accelerated e x c h a n g e and
h e n c e b e c o m e a n o n - s t a n d a r d p r o d u c t , a n i t e m from a n o t h e r age, floating m o s t o f
t h e t i m e b e t w e e n p a r e n t s w h o n o l o n g e r k n o w w h a t t o d o w i t h it.
B u t w h i c h , like t h e dead, like w o m e n , like t h e masses, like t h e object, like all t h e
c a t e g o r i e s e x p e l l e d f r o m t h e d o m i n a n t r e a s o n , still has all i t n e e d s t o t a k e its
r e v e n g e a n d p o s e a n i n s o l u b l e p r o b l e m for t h e m a s t e r s o f reality.
16 October

106

1995