--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That the Sadian fantasy situates itself…" description: "\"“That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the bearers of Christian ethics than elsewhere is what our structural landmarks allow us to grasp ea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg" --- # That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the… ![“That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the bearers of Christian ethics than elsewhere is what our structural landmarks allow us to grasp easily. But that Sade, himself, refuses to be my neighbor, is what needs to be recalled, not in order to refuse it to him in return, but in order to…” quote by Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg) > ““That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the bearers of Christian ethics than elsewhere is what our structural landmarks allow us to grasp easily. But that Sade, himself, refuses to be my neighbor, is what needs to be recalled, not in order to refuse it to him in return, but in order to recognize the meaning of this refusal. We believe that Sade is not close enough to his own wickedness to recognize his neighbor in it. A trait which he shares with many, and notably with Freud. For such is indeed the sole motive of the recoil of beings, sometimes forewarned, before the Christian commandment. For Sade, we see the test of this, crucial in our eyes, in his refusal of the death penalty, which history, if not logic, would suffice to show is one of the corollaries of Charity.”” [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lacan argues that Sade’s refusal to recognize his own wickedness mirrors a broader human inability to see moral failings in oneself, linking this to Christian ethical frameworks and Freud’s insights. **In simple terms:** We often ignore our own moral flaws, seeing them only in others. Key Takeaway Reflect on personal moral blind spots. Themes ethics self-awareness psychology Mood analytical thoughtful Type critical theoretical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - ethical debates - personal introspection Key Concepts Freudian theory Christian morality moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront your own ethical contradictions? - Can acknowledging personal flaws improve societal empathy? A Different Perspective Self‑recognition can be painful and may clash with social norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-ethics/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [Refusal to believe until proof is given is a rational position; denial of all outside of our own limited experience is absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/refusal-to-believe-until-proof-is-given-is-a-rational-position-denial/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [There's a lot of pride involved in my refusal to believe in god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/there-s-a-lot-of-pride-involved-in-my-refusal-to-believe-in-god/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [You are already that which you want to be, and your refusal to believe this is the only reason you do not see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-goddard/you-are-already-that-which-you-want-to-be-and-your-refusal-to-believe/) [Neville Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-goddard/) > [For the essence of science, I would suggest, is simply the refusal to believe on the basis of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barrington-moore-jr/for-the-essence-of-science-i-would-suggest-is-simply-the-refusal-to/) Barrington Moore Jr > [A refusal to believe that God loves us is the unbelief which destroys the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norris-kirk/a-refusal-to-believe-that-god-loves-us-is-the-unbelief-which-destroys/) Edward Norris Kirk > [“You don't beat refusal to believe in a frontal attack.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/you-don-t-beat-refusal-to-believe-in-a-frontal-attack/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Your believing or not believing in karma has no effect on its existence, nor on its consequences to you. Just as a refusal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-paul-wilson/your-believing-or-not-believing-in-karma-has-no-effect-on-its/) [F. Paul Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-paul-wilson/) > [Science is the refusal to believe on the basis of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/science-is-the-refusal-to-believe-on-the-basis-of-hope/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once you have confidence in your instincts, you must never allow other people's refusal to believe, or their data to refute, what you instinctively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/once-you-have-confidence-in-your-instincts-you-must-never-allow-other/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [“Amazement of something in front of your eyes, which is so strong that it makes you refuse to believe it. A refusal to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandar-tomov/amazement-of-something-in-front-of-your-eyes-which-is-so-strong-that/) [Alexandar Tomov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandar-tomov/) > [“Thus posed, the problem of unbrotherliness can oppose socialism, which uses and abuses the word bortherhood while rejecting fatherhood. Socialism has no opponent. Religions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fedorov-n-f/thus-posed-the-problem-of-unbrotherliness-can-oppose-socialism-which/) Fedorov N.f > [One would like to believe that people who think of themselves as devout Christians would also behave in a manner that is in according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-john-neuhaus/one-would-like-to-believe-that-people-who-think-of-themselves-as/) [Richard John Neuhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-john-neuhaus/) > [According to our Christian ethics, we're supposed to love God, love each other and help take care of the poor. It is immoral to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-riley/according-to-our-christian-ethics-we-re-supposed-to-love-god-love/) [Bob Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-riley/) > [“Historically, all ethics undoubtedly begin with religion; but I do not now deal with historical questions. I do not ask who was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/historically-all-ethics-undoubtedly-begin-with-religion-but-i-do-not/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/christian-liberty-is-freedom-from-sin-not-freedom-to-sin/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) ## More by Jacques Lacan > [The narration, in fact, doubles the drama with a commentary without which no mise en scene would be possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-narration-in-fact-doubles-the-drama-with-a-commentary-without/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Symptoms, those you believe you recognize, seem to you irrational because you take them in an isolated manner, and you want to interpret them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/symptoms-those-you-believe-you-recognize-seem-to-you-irrational/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Writings scatter to the winds blank checks in an insane charge. And were they not such flying leaves, there would be no purloined letters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/writings-scatter-to-the-winds-blank-checks-in-an-insane-charge-and/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Love means giving something you don't have to someone who doesn't want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/love-means-giving-something-you-don-t-have-to-someone-who-doesn-t/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [For the signifier is a unit in its very uniqueness, being by nature symbol only of an absence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/for-the-signifier-is-a-unit-in-its-very-uniqueness-being-by-nature/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [My thesis is that the moral law is articulated with relation to the real as such, to the real insofar as it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/my-thesis-is-that-the-moral-law-is-articulated-with-relation-to-the/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [The best image to sum up the unconscious is Baltimore in the early morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-best-image-to-sum-up-the-unconscious-is-baltimore-in-the-early/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Meaning is produced not only by the relationship between the signifier and the signified but also, crucially, by the position of the signifiers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/meaning-is-produced-not-only-by-the-relationship-between-the/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [“Il n'y a pas de rapport sexuel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/il-n-y-a-pas-de-rapport-sexuel/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [I always speak the truth. Not the whole truth, because there's no way, to say it all. Saying it all is literally impossible: words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/i-always-speak-the-truth-not-the-whole-truth-because-there-s-no-way/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [But this emphasis would be lavished in vain, if it served, in your opinion, only to abstract a general type from phenomena whose particularity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/but-this-emphasis-would-be-lavished-in-vain-if-it-served-in-your/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [I identify myself in language, but only by losing myself in it like an object. What is realised in my history is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/i-identify-myself-in-language-but-only-by-losing-myself-in-it-like-an/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [The evil eye is the fascinum, it is that which has the effect of arresting movement and, literally, of killing life. At the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-evil-eye-is-the-fascinum-it-is-that-which-has-the-effect-of/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Which is why we cannot say of the purloined letter that, like other objects, it must be or not be in a particular place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/which-is-why-we-cannot-say-of-the-purloined-letter-that-like-other/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [The reason we go to poetry is not for wisdom, but for the dismantling of wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-reason-we-go-to-poetry-is-not-for-wisdom-but-for-the-dismantling/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) [Explore all 49 Jacques Lacan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) ## More Christian ethics quotes > [Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/christian-liberty-is-freedom-from-sin-not-freedom-to-sin/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Historically, all ethics undoubtedly begin with religion; but I do not now deal with historical questions. I do not ask who was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/historically-all-ethics-undoubtedly-begin-with-religion-but-i-do-not/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [According to our Christian ethics, we're supposed to love God, love each other and help take care of the poor. It is immoral to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-riley/according-to-our-christian-ethics-we-re-supposed-to-love-god-love/) [Bob Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-riley/) > [One would like to believe that people who think of themselves as devout Christians would also behave in a manner that is in according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-john-neuhaus/one-would-like-to-believe-that-people-who-think-of-themselves-as/) [Richard John Neuhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-john-neuhaus/) > [“Thus posed, the problem of unbrotherliness can oppose socialism, which uses and abuses the word bortherhood while rejecting fatherhood. Socialism has no opponent. Religions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fedorov-n-f/thus-posed-the-problem-of-unbrotherliness-can-oppose-socialism-which/) Fedorov N.f > [The Christian ethic did not raise the worth of female life much above the Jewish: nor did the clinical ethic raise it much above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/the-christian-ethic-did-not-raise-the-worth-of-female-life-much-above/) [Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/) > [“I knew this guy he'd been in a motorcycle accident and it really ruined him and he was a linesman working on the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-knew-this-guy-he-d-been-in-a-motorcycle-accident-and-it-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Evangelical faith without Christian ethics is a travesty on the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-raymond-edman/evangelical-faith-without-christian-ethics-is-a-travesty-on-the-gospel/) [V. Raymond Edman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-raymond-edman/) > [The goal of embodying Christian ethics - if you want to call yourself a Christian - is being patient and loving with your neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-baker/the-goal-of-embodying-christian-ethics-if-you-want-to-call-yourself-a/) [Julien Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-baker/) > [“Christian ethics makes sense of human life from a moral perspective, presenting us with a vision of what it means to be a flourishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davison/christian-ethics-makes-sense-of-human-life-from-a-moral-perspective/) [Andrew Davison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davison/) > [I am among those who believe that our Western civilization is on its way to perishing. It has many commendable qualities, most of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-am-among-those-who-believe-that-our-western-civilization-is-on-its/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Christian ethics is not primarily an individualistic, one-on-one-with-God brand of personal holiness; rather it has to do with living the life of the Spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-fee/christian-ethics-is-not-primarily-an-individualistic-one-on-one-with/) [Gordon Fee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-fee/) > [At the heart of Christian ethic is humility; at the heart of its parodies, pride. Different roads with different destinations, and the destinations color…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-the-heart-of-christian-ethic-is-humility-at-the-heart-of-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Christian ethics is not a matter of discovering what's going on in the world and getting in tune with it. It isn't a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/christian-ethics-is-not-a-matter-of-discovering-what-s-going-on-in/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [We must have Christian ethics for our children, good and strong, but we must make them attractive, too, and it can be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-blyton/we-must-have-christian-ethics-for-our-children-good-and-strong-but-we/) [Enid Blyton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-blyton/) [Browse all 30 Christian ethics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-ethics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the bearers of Christian ethics than elsewhere is what our structural landmarks allow us to grasp easily. But that Sade, himself, refuses to be my neighbor, is what needs to be recalled, not in order to refuse it to him in return, but in order to recognize the meaning of this refusal. We believe that Sade is not close enough to his own wickedness to recognize his neighbor in it. A trait which he shares with many, and notably with Freud. For such is indeed the sole motive of the recoil of beings, sometimes forewarned, before the Christian commandment. For Sade, we see the test of this, crucial in our eyes, in his refusal of the death penalty, which history, if not logic, would suffice to show is one of the corollaries of Charity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacques Lacan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself-better-in-the-bearers-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christian ethics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself-better-in-the-bearers-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/jacques-lacan-11942_christian-ethics_that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself_1271031.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That the Sadian fantasy situates itself better in the bearers of Christian ethics than elsewhere is what our…” — Jacques Lacan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jacques Lacan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That the Sadian fantasy situates itself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself-better-in-the-bearers-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/that-the-sadian-fantasy-situates-itself-better-in-the-bearers-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```