Don Juan and Casanova: The Two Poles of Male Desire - A Psychoanalytic Reading
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46324/PMP2601109Keywords:
Don Juan, Casanova, psychoanalysis, archetypes, Eros, narcissism, hedonismAbstract
The present article offers a psychoanalytic and culturally critical reading of two of the most influential archetypes of male love in the Western tradition – Don Juan and Giacomo Casanova. Through the prism of Freud, Jung, Rank, Kierkegaard, Lacan, de Beauvoir and Benjamin, the motives, ethical implications and attitudes towards women in these figures are analysed. Don Juan is examined as an archetype of destructive, narcissistic passion – compulsive conquest, objectification of the partner and denial of intimacy, which leads to tragic self-destruction. Casanova, by contrast, embodies mature, reciprocal hedonism – the pursuit of mutual pleasure, respect for the woman as an equal subject and emotional harmony, without mythical punishment. The comparison highlights the two poles of male desire: destructive narcissism versus constructive Eros. In a contemporary context – the era of digital dating platforms, the #MeToo movement and the critique of toxic masculinity – the article discusses how these archetypes continue to influence intimate relationships and public debates on consent, emotional responsibility and equality.The feminist and Lacanian perspective shows that Don Juan remains a warning about objectifying power, while Casanova offers a (controversial) model for ethical erotica based on reciprocity and humanity. The conclusion emphasises the need to transcend these poles towards a more responsible and egalitarian form of love.
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