This thesis looks at the Jungian concept of the archetypes and the connection between the process of individuation and social ecology. An unnatural split between thinking and feeling is seen to be entrenched in society and to be a cause for conflict. It is argued that this split has its origins in the individual 's unresolved inner conflict of ego and shadow. The idea of the archetype is examined in the context of Jung's observations about psychic features which he made throughout his lifetime. While it is true the psychic archetypes have an immense significance for a society in general, it is also true that archetypes are absolutely central in the life of the individual. The central part played by mythology and fairy tale in Jungian psychology is explored using a North American Indian myth as a vehicle for an exposition for some major concepts. Inheritance of archetypes is perhaps the central feature of controversy surrounding the Jungian concept of psychic archetypes and a possible mechanism of inheritance based on the idea of the 'meme' and its relationship to the gene, is examined. The ancient story of Aladdin and the Lamp, is found to contain inherent psychic features or artefacts, which elucidate the concept of the ego/shadow polarity, and so can be seen to constitute an example of an 'archaeology' of archetypes. The apparent dual nature of the archetype is further explored by comparing and contrasting the archetypes of the 'wise old man' and the 'wicked magician', and this dual nature exploration is seen to be in essence an examination of the ego/shadow equilibrium, which exerts its influence on all manifestations at the moment of expression. This unexpected influence on the archetype, despite the archetype's collective nature, explains the positive and negative faces of the archetypes and seems to resolve some questions about their moral, amoral and/or polar nature. The resolution of psychic conflict in the context of Jungian individuation and how the individuation process may influence the expression of collective features, is also found to have the ego/shadow equilibrium as the central psychic structure. / Master of Science (Hons) (Social Ecology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/235161 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Hunt, John V., University of Western Sydney, Faculty of Social Inquiry |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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