Students are introduced to Jung's psychology, with particular emphasis on the applications of his thought to cultural and literary studies, and to social and spiritual problems. We consider the differences between Freud and Jung, explore Jung's theories of the structure and dynamics of the psyche, and examine Jung's contributions to the study of myth, archetype and symbolism. Jung's psychology is not merely a therapy of neurosis, but an approach to culture, society, and the whole of life. His psychology offers an attitude to reality, seen from the standpoint of the unconscious, not of ego-consciousness. Unlike many psychiatrists, Jung does not suggest that the individual must adjust to society, but rather the individual's primary obligation is to adjust to the unconscious, regardless of how that impacts on social adjustment. Jung seeks not to promote social norms but to challenge them and to offer a psychotherapy of culture.

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Readings