Massimo Recalcati at the University of Salerno Lectio Magistralis – Desire as a pedagogical category
Lectio Magistralis
Desire as a Pedagogical Category
As part of the activities of the UNESCO Chair in "Generative Pedagogy and Educational Systems to Tackle Inequality", led by Prof. Emiliana Mannese, the University of Salerno is hosting a Lectio Magistralis by Prof. Massimo Recalcati, one of the most authoritative Italian and international psychoanalysts.
Desire as the Foundation of Education
Desire, traditionally situated within the psychoanalytic lexicon, is presented here as a fundamental pedagogical category, capable of illuminating the profound, transformative, and non-linear dimensions of learning.
From the perspective of Generative Pedagogy, desire is not a lack to be filled, but an affirmative and productive force: a tension towards the possible, an openness to the unknown, a movement that generates knowledge, responsibility, and freedom.
The Lectio forms part of a long-standing scientific dialogue between Massimo Recalcati and Emiliana Mannese. This exchange was first formalised in an interview published in the scientific journal Attualità Pedagogiche (2023), of which Mannese is the scientific director, where desire was recognised as an epistemologically fundamental category of pedagogical generativity.
As Mannese states:
‘Educating desire is a pedagogical task that we cannot shy away from.’
Educating desire means restoring the centrality of the person, moving education beyond purely bureaucratic logic, and recognising knowledge as a generative act.
Psychoanalysis and Generative Pedagogy: a scientific convergence
The lecture by Prof. Recalcati – Member of the Milanese Psychoanalytical Society (SMP), Founder of Jonas – Centre for Psychoanalytic Clinic for New Symptoms, and Scientific Director of the IRPA School of Specialisation in Psychotherapy in Milan – will offer a reflection on the generative dimension of desire as a driver of individual and collective transformation.
In an age marked by cultural homogenisation, internet pressure, and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, desire emerges as a critical and creative space for humanity.
A Third Mission initiative
The event is part of the Third Mission and Public Engagement initiative, aimed at disseminating research results to the academic community and the local area, in line with the mission of the UNESCO Chair and the commitment to building Thinking Communities.
Scientific Committee
Maria Grazia Lombardi
Maria Chiara Castaldi
Maria Ricciardi
Raffaela Marigliano