The papers I present here reflect different moments of my thought concerning, on one hand, the connections between my political life and my social position, and on the other, the ties between these connections and my clinical practice, itself a political stance. Between political life and intimacy, there are numerous forms of mediation which tend to become institutions: the family, religion, sport, culture or political parties are expressions of this. The community formed by psychoanalysts, the publications they produce, the place in that community occupied by psychoanalytical societies, associations, schools or groups and what they propose or demand, working and research groups, training analysis, supervision, whether or not these take place inside institutions, constitute many other expressions of such mediation. Even what we call "I", the "Ego" or the "Self" tends to be organised by the subject as a personal institution. Never attaining total institutionalisation, intimacy is political : it flees institutions in a paradoxical and conflict-ridden relationship. This is at the core of ethics.