Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of ThoughtJung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Philosophy
Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought
Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Libido (Psychology); Mother and child; Psychoanalysis; Subconsciousness; Symbolism (Psychology)
dynamic states of religious activity. These are those impulses which in
childhood are withdrawn from incestuous application through the
intervention of the incest barrier and which, especially at the time of
puberty, as a result of affluxes of libido coming from the still
incompletely employed sexuality, are aroused to their own peculiar
activity. As is easily understood, that which is valuable in the
God-creating idea is not the form but the power, the libido. The
primitive power which Job’s Hymn of Creation vindicates, the
unconditional and inexorable, the unjust and the superhuman, are truly
and rightly attributes of libido, which “lead us unto life,” which “let
the poor be guilty,” and against which struggle is in vain. Nothing
remains for mankind but to work in harmony with this will. Nietzsche’s
“Zarathustra” teaches us this impressively.
We see that in Miss Miller the religious hymn arising from the
unconscious is the compensating amend for the erotic; it takes a great
part of its materials from the infantile reminiscences which she
reawakened into life by the introversion of the libido. Had this
religious creation not succeeded (and also had another sublimated
application been eliminated) then Miss Miller would have yielded to the
erotic impression, either to its natural consequence or to a negative
issue, which would have replaced the lost success in love by a
correspondingly strong sorrow. It is well known that opinions are much
divided concerning the worth of this issue of an erotic conflict, such
as Miss Miller has presented to us. It is thought to be much more
beautiful to solve unnoticed an erotic tension, in the elevated feelings
of religious poetry, in which perhaps many other people can find joy and
consolation. One is wrong to storm against this conception from the
radical standpoint of fanaticism for truth.
I think that one should view with philosophic admiration the strange
paths of the libido and should investigate the purposes of its
circuitous ways.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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