In psychoanalytic theory, particularly within the Lacanian framework, perversion is understood not merely as a set of deviant behaviors but as a distinct structural position concerning desire and the Other. Perversion involves a disavowal of the lack in the Other and an attempt to position oneself as the instrument of the Other’s jouissance (enjoyment).
Rather than serving to “limit-test” the boundaries of desire, perversion functions to deny the inherent lack in the Other by orchestrating scenarios where the perverse subject controls or dictates the terms of desire and satisfaction. This control allows the perverse individual to avoid confronting the ambiguity and uncertainty of the Other’s desire.
Therefore, in the Lacanian sense, perversion is less about exploring or testing the limits of desire and more about a structured mechanism to manage and negate the anxiety-provoking aspects of desire by asserting dominance over the Other’s jouissance.
