In this study, Teresa Brennan points to Jacques Lacan's neglected theory of history as proof that he was not at all an ahistorical post-structuralist. In the process of elaborating upon Lacan's theory, Brennan also develops a general historical theory of modernity that runs counter to postmodern assumptions. She asserts that an understanding of historical dynamics is essential if we are to make connections between the outstanding facts of modernity such as ethnocentrism, the relation between the sexes, and ecological catastrophe.