The aim of this article is: (a) to argue that the UK governments’ authoritarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic is inciting a qualitative shift in discourse structures that are transforming xenophobia into a radically totalitarian force; and (b) to demonstrate that even ostensibly voluntarist libertarian discourse also creates conditions for the psyche that incite the same totalitarian xenophobic transformation. I use two approaches to the relation between authoritarianism and xenophobia in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK and the debates over the benefits and harms of ‘lockdowns’ (state-enforced, legally binding restrictions on social interaction to reduce infection transmission). First, I use Lacanian theory in a socio-cultural critique to explain the on-going shift, during the pandemic, towards an increasingly totalitarian psyche, that is intensifying and transforming xenophobia. The anti-democratic imposition of new laws induces agencies and civilians to over-zealously report and punish violators. I present xenophobic activities that are signs of a developing totalitarian psyche that over-represses and ultimately negates the humanity of the other and feels a duty to punish the ‘other’ as a moral good. Second, I use Lacanian discourse analysis to analyse an example of ostensibly libertarian anti-lockdown discourse. The analysis disorganises and disentangles the underlying non-sensical symbolic values and structure of words or signifiers. This reveals how these signifiers: (a) create discrete identities for social groups of ‘minority’ non-sensible others; who are (b) blamed as the cause of harm to the sensible ‘majority’; and (c) function socially to effectively demand that the ‘minority’ groups isolate themselves, as if voluntarily, and are to be isolated, actually and metaphorically, by the xenophobic ‘majority’. The apparently liberal democratic discourse is shown to be performative of a totalitarian system of mastery and xenophobic attitudes and behaviours.

中文翻译：

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大流行期间的仇外心理：拉康式的观点

本文的目的是：(a) 论证英国政府对 COVID-19 大流行的专制反应正在引发话语结构的质变，将仇外心理转变为极端极权主义的力量；(b) 证明即使表面上是自愿主义的自由主义话语也为煽动同样的极权主义仇外转变的心理创造条件。在英国 COVID-19 大流行的背景下以及关于“封锁”（国家强制执行的、具有法律约束力的社会互动限制以减少感染传播）的利弊的辩论中，我使用两种方法来处理威权主义和仇外心理之间的关系）。首先，我在社会文化批评中使用拉康理论来解释大流行期间正在进行的转变，走向日益集权的心理，这正在加剧和转变仇外心理。新法律的反民主实施导致机构和平民过度热心举报和惩罚违规者。我展示了仇外活动，这些活动是正在发展的极权主义心理的迹象，这种心理过度压抑并最终否定他人的人性，并感到有责任将“他人”作为一种道德善来惩罚。其次，我使用拉康式的话语分析来分析一个表面上自由主义的反封锁话语的例子。分析打乱和解开潜在的无意义的符号价值和单词或能指的结构。这揭示了这些能指如何：（a）为“少数”非理性他人的社会群体创造离散的身份；哪些人 (b) 被指责为对明智的“多数人”造成伤害的原因；(c) 在社会上发挥作用，有效地要求“少数”群体将自己孤立起来，好像是自愿的，并且实际上和隐喻地被仇外的“多数”孤立。明显的自由民主话语被证明是专制和仇外态度和行为的极权主义体系的表现。