From a protective space to an erupting crisis

Abstract Which metaphors can be employed to account for a crisis of sexuality? And how is mathematics even related to such a crisis? At the end of the 18th century, Rousseau viewed mathematics as a “safe place” which should be protected from such crises of sexuality. At the beginning of the 20th century, Freud highlighted the contrary, presenting mathematics as a “treacherous space” where such crises could very well erupt. To analyse this metaphorical transition, I will turn to Hans Blumenberg, whose theory reveals Rousseau’s and Freud’s works as background metaphors, which also operated in 19th century mathematical discourse. Blumenberg himself reflects on this transition via the shipwreck metaphor, which was also adopted by Freud and Rousseau, albeit in other frameworks.