Table Of Contenti
“More than ever we need Jung, whose intuitions are proving indis-
pensable to understanding and interacting with the twentyfirst cen-
tury, from issues of globalism and ecological crisis, to the challenges
of living with technology. C.G. Jung: the Basics offers excellent
starting points for complete beginners or for those seeking fresh psy-
chological perspectives on history, modernity, symbolism, spirituality,
the arts, creative practice and our relationships to each other and
the planet. Suitable for clinicians in training and students of discip-
lines from the humanities to the social sciences, this book brings an
important resource into accessible and exciting perspective for our
times.”
– Susan Rowland, PhD, is Chair of MA Engaged Humanities
and the Creative Life at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and
teaches on the doctoral program in Jungian psychology and
Archetypal Studies. She is the author of Remembering
Dionysus: Revisioning Psychology and Literature in
C. G. Jung and James Hillman (Routledge 2017)
“The basics are the essential facts or principles of a subject. This is
what Ruth Williams has brilliantly given us in relation to the work
of C.G. Jung, analytical psychology, Jungian analysis and Jungian
studies. Her book is accessible, beautifully structured and presented.
She really knows her way around the Jungian world and can play the
role of guide with consummate ease.”
– From the Foreword by Andrew Samuels, Professor of
Analytical Psychology, University of Essex
“Ruth Williams discusses the unconscious, the structure of the
psyche, the archetypes, and individuation, as well as psychological
types, dreams, alchemy, and the vexed question of Jung’s political
engagement in a way that will, I hope, encourage the reader to look
more closely at what Jung has to offer us in the twenty-first century.
There are many different ways in which to approach Jung: through
his indebtedness to German culture, for instance, or through applying
his conceptual tools in the field of literary criticism or film studies,
ii
or through studying the institutional development of analytical
psychology and the personalities involved in the Jungian movement.
What is valuable about the account offered in this book is that it
provides an overview of the ‘basics’ of Jungian thought in a way that
is both helpful and clear. Jung once described the second part of
Goethe’s Faust as ‘a link in the aurea catena’ — i.e., the Golden or
Homeric Chain — ‘which has existed from the beginnings of philo-
sophical alchemy and Gnosticism down to Nietzsche’s Zarathustra’;
in engaging with this material Jung found that it was ‘unpopular,
ambiguous, and dangerous’, and he believed he had embarked on ‘a
voyage of discovery to the other pole of the world’. As one embarks
on one’s own journey into Jung, it is good to have a guide such as
this in one’s hands.”
– Paul Bishop, William Jacks Chair of Modern Languages
at the University of Glasgow, UK; co-editor of
The Ecstatic and the Archaic (Routledge)
iii
C.G. JUNG
THE BASICS
C.G. Jung: The Basics is an accessible, concise introduction to the life and
ideas of C.G. Jung for readers of all backgrounds, from those new to Jung’s
work to those looking for a convenient reference.
Ruth Williams eloquently and succinctly introduces the key concepts of
Jungian theory and paints his biographical picture with clarity. The book
begins with an overview of Jung’s family life, childhood, and relationship
with (and subsequent split from) Sigmund Freud. Williams then progresses
thematically through the key concepts in his work, clearly explaining ideas
including the unconscious, the structure of the psyche, archetypes, individu-
ation, psychological types and alchemy. C.G. Jung: The Basics also presents
Jung’s theories on dreams and the self, and explains how his ideas developed
and how they can be applied to everyday life. The book also discusses some
of the negative claims made about Jung, especially his ideas on politics, race
and gender, and includes detailed explanations and examples throughout,
including a chronology of Jung’s life and suggested further reading.
C.G. Jung: The Basics will be key reading for students at all levels coming
to Jung’s ideas for the first time and general readers with an interest in his
work. For those already familiar with Jungian concepts, it will provide a
helpful guide to applying these ideas to the real world.
Ruth Williams is a Jungian Analyst, Professional Member and Supervising
Analyst with the Association of Jungian Analysts in London, UK. She has
been in clinical practice for more than 25 years. Her website can be found at
www.ruthwilliams.org.uk.
iv
THE BASICS SERIES
For a full list of titles in this series, please visit www.routledge.
com/ The- Basics/ book- series/ B
ROMAN CATHOLICISM (SECOND EDITION) SUSTAINABILITY
MICHAEL WALSH PETER JACQUES
SEMIOTICS (SECOND EDITION) TELEVISION STUDIES
DANIEL CHANDLER TOBY MILLER
SHAKESPEARE (THIRD EDITION) TERRORISM
SEAN MCEVOY JAMES LUTZ AND BRENDA LUTZ
SOCIAL AND LABOUR MARKET POLICY THEATRE STUDIES (SECOND EDITION)
BENT GREVE ROBERT LEACH
SOCIAL WORK TRANSLATION
MARK DOEL JULIANE HOUSE
SOCIOLOGY (SECOND EDITION) WITCHCRAFT
KEN PLUMMER MARION GIBSON
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND WOMEN’S STUDIES
DISABILITY (SECOND EDITION) BONNIE SMITH
JANICE WEARMOUTH
WORLD HISTORY
SPORT MANAGEMENT PETER N. STEARNS
ROBERT WILSON AND MARK PIEKARZ
WORLD THEATRE
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY E. J. WESTLAKE
DAVID TOD
RESEARCH METHODS
SPORTS COACHING NICHOLAS WALLIMAN
LAURA PURDY
CONTEMPORARY INDIA
STANISLAVSKI REKHA DATTA
ROSE WHYMAN
GENDER (SECOND EDITION)
SUBCULTURES HILARY M. LIPS
ROSS HAENFLER
v
C.G. JUNG
THE BASICS
Ruth Williams
vi vii
First published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Ruth Williams
The right of Ruth Williams to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without
intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Williams, Ruth, 1956 August 15– author.
Title: C. G. Jung : the basics / Ruth Williams.
Description: 1 Edition. | New York : Routledge, 2019. |
Series: The basics | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018035012 (print) | LCCN 2018036514 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315638416 (Master Ebook) | ISBN 9781317270966 (Abode Reader) |
ISBN 9781317270959 (Epub) | ISBN 9781317270942 (Mobipocket) |
ISBN 9781138195424 (hardback) | ISBN 9781138195448 (pbk.) |
ISBN 9781315638416 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875–1961. | Psychoanalysis.
Classification: LCC BF109.J8 (ebook) | LCC BF109.J8 W555 2019 (print) |
DDC 150.19/5–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018035012
ISBN: 978-1 - 138- 19542- 4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1 - 138- 19544- 8 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1 - 315- 63841- 6 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Out of House Publishing
vviiii
-A =i0
viii
ix
CONTENTS
A note on references xiv
Acknowledgements xv
Permissions xvii
Illustrations xviii
Foreword by Professor Andrew Samuels xix
Table setting out the timeline of Jung’s life including
biographical and historical key points xxii
Preface xxv
Introduction xxvi
Biographical detail xxviii
Professional life xxix
Symbolic life xxxii
New Age xxxii
Legacy xxxiv
References xxxvi
1 The unconscious 1
Attitude 1
History 2
What is the unconscious? 3
Psychoid unconscious 4
