Civilization in Transition
Carl Gustav JungInternational Culture Publishing Corporation · ChinaDec 2019
Rating 4.0- Word count
- 394K words
- Chapters
- 58
Tags
Social Psychology Social ObservationHumanistic CarePsychology ClassicReflections on CivilizationSocial CritiqueWestern ThoughtCollective PsychologyAcademic StudyCultural ChangeEra CrisisSummary
This volume collects Jung's essays on the relationship between the individual and society. Jung holds that the conflicts of Western civilization stem from a psychological crisis arising in the collective unconscious of individuals as members of a group. To grasp the nature of the unconscious, we must attend not only to contemporary problems but also to the history of the human psyche.Editor's review
This book turns Jung's gaze from individual psychology to the group and society, discussing the psychological crisis behind the conflicts of Western civilization. Jung's core claim is that psychological problems in the collective unconscious manifest at the group level, and that understanding contemporary predicaments requires looking back at the history of the human psyche. Unlike purely sociological or historical works, Jung's analysis始终 revolves around psychological structures, treating civilizational change as a projection of psychological facts. The book addresses the relationship between the individual and society and the deep motivations of group psychology; its tone is diagnostic, and it retains Jung's characteristic interdisciplinary associative style. The value of reading this book lies not in concrete social prescriptions but in a shift of perspective: seeing social conflict as an expression of psychological crisis. It suits readers with a sustained interest in the relationship between civilization, culture, and psychology, especially those who come to it after reading Jung's theory of archetypes, so as to extend individual psychological concepts to the group level.Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the relationship between Jungian analytical psychology and society and culture
- Readers in cultural studies, intellectual history, or social theory with an interest in the psychological dimension
- Those who wish to reflect on civilizational conflict and group psychology from a psychological perspective
- Advanced readers who have read Jung's foundational works and wish to extend into the social domain
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking concrete solutions to social problems or policy recommendations
- Scholars expecting a systematic sociological theoretical framework and empirical research
- General readers who prefer light essays and lack patience for theoretical exposition
Reading tips
- Read Jung's foundational discussions of the collective unconscious and archetypes first, then move on to the social analysis in this book.
- While reading, distinguish Jung's diagnosis of the problems of his age from his psychological theorizing, and avoid conflating the two.
- Read alongside materials on modern cultural history to test the historical context of Jung's judgments.
- After each chapter, summarize its core psychological mechanism in a few sentences to help grasp the thread of the book.
About the publisher
International Culture Publishing Corporation China · Founded in 1984International Culture Publishing Corporation is a publisher known for introducing foreign literature and world classics, with about 283 relevant titles in the database. Its representative books include Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, Hesse's Siddhartha, Jiménez's Platero and I, and Gibran's The Prophet, as well as cultural readings such as Zhu Guangqian's Twelve Letters to Youth and Common Talk on Classics. In psychology, it offers the nine-volume Collector's Edition of C. G. Jung's Works, covering social psychology and applied psychology. Its author resources include Goethe, Hesse, Jiménez, Jung, and Zhu Guangqian, along with Chinese authors involved in translation and compilation. Its publishing focus is on foreign literature, classic works, psychology, and culture, serving both academic and general readers. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一部分
- 潜意识的作用
- 心灵与大地
- 古代人
- 现代人的精神问题
- 第二部分
- 学生的爱情问题
- 欧洲女性
- 心理学对现代人的意义
- 心理治疗之现状
- 第三部分
- 《当代事件论文集》序
- 沃 旦
- 灾难过后
- 与影子的搏斗
- 《当代事件论文集》后记
- 第四部分
- 未发现的自我（现在与未来）
- 第一章 个人在现代社会中的困境
- 第二章 与群体思维相抗衡的宗教
- 第三章 西方对于宗教问题的立场
- 第四章 个人对自我的了解
- 第五章 对生命的哲学及心理学解析
- 第六章 自我知识
- 第七章 自我知识的意义
- 第五部分 飞碟：有关天空中所见物的现代神话
- 英文第一版序言
- 前 言
- 一、作为流言的UFO
- 二、梦境中的UFO
- 三、现代绘画中的UFO
- 四、UFO现象的早期历史
- 五、从非心理学角度看UFO现象
- 后 记
- 附 录
- 第六部分
- 从心理学角度看良心
- 分析心理学中的善与恶
- 托妮·伍尔夫《荣格心理学研究》序言
- 第七部分
- 欧洲光谱中的瑞士
- 一个新世界的崛起
- 世界革命
- 论美国心理的复杂性
- 印度的如梦世界
- 印度能教给我们什么
- 附 录
- 编者的话（1933）
- 答巴利博士
- 通 函（1934）
- 编者的话（1935）
- 编者的话（1935）
- 在国际心理治疗医学总会第八届代表大会上的主席致辞，巴德瑙海姆，1935
- 心理治疗讨论发言稿一篇
- 在国际心理治疗医学总会第九届代表大会上的主席致辞，哥本哈根，1937
- 在国际心理治疗医学总会第十届代表大会上的主席致辞，牛津，1938
- 参考文献
FAQ
Is this book suitable as an introduction to Jung?
Not really. The book discusses the relationship between the individual and society and presumes a basic familiarity with concepts such as the collective unconscious and archetypes. Starting here may make the argument feel disjointed. It is advisable to read a thematic collection or a reliable introduction to Jung's ideas on archetypes and the collective unconscious before turning to this book.What does Jung mean by the conflicts of civilization?
In this book, Jung understands the conflicts of Western civilization as a psychological crisis at the group level, whose roots he associates with psychological problems in the collective unconscious. He argues that understanding the unconscious requires attention not only to contemporary problems but also to the history of the human psyche. Readers should note that this is his explanation based on analytical psychology, not a strictly historical-sociological conclusion.What background knowledge is needed to read this book?
It helps to have a grasp of the basic concepts of analytical psychology and a general sense of what the collective unconscious and archetypes mean. Some preliminary knowledge of modern Western intellectual and cultural history is also useful, since Jung's discussion often touches on the spirit of the age and civilizational issues. The book can still be read without this background, but it requires more patience and reference.Related on WeRead
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About the author
Carl Gustav Jung Author · Swiss · 1875–1961Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist, and the founder of analytical psychology. He was born in Kesswil, Thurgau, and died in Zurich. In his early years he studied schizophrenia under Bleuler; he later collaborated with Freud before the two parted ways. He introduced such concepts as the collective unconscious, archetypes, complexes, and introversion and extraversion, and his influence has extended deeply into psychology, religion, and literature. This site carries thirty-three of his works, most of them autobiographical writings centered on memory, dreams, and the unconscious, alongside topics in applied psychology, social psychology, and health. Written in the first person, these texts look back on his personal experience and the formation of his thought in an introspective, plain style, and serve as an entry point into the context of his analytical psychology.