Carl Jung — The Significance of the Father in the Destiny of the Individual
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FATHER IN THE DESTINY OF THE INDIVIDUAL Foreword to the Second Edition
This little essay, written seventeen years ago, ended with the words: “It is to be hoped that experience in the years to come will sink deeper shafts into this obscure territory.”
Since then, the shafts have been sunk, and the results have been published in the Psychologische Abhandlungen. The present essay is a first attempt to approach the problem of the father from the standpoint of analytical psychology. It is based on experience gained in the course of practical work with patients, and is therefore not a theoretical construction but a practical exposition.
The problem of the father is an essential part of the psychology of the unconscious. It is a problem that arises in the course of the development of the personality, and it is intimately connected with the formation of the ego and the integration of the personality. The father is not only a personal figure, but also a symbolic one. He represents authority, law, and order, and he is the representative of the collective values of society.
In the development of the personality, the father plays a decisive role. He is the model for the ego-ideal, and he is the figure who mediates between the child and the world. The attitude of the father towards the child determines to a large extent the attitude of the child towards the world. A positive father-image gives the child a sense of security and confidence, while a negative father-image leads to insecurity and inferiority.
The father-complex is a central theme in the psychology of the unconscious. It is a complex that arises from the relationship between the child and the father, and it is characterized by ambivalence. The child loves and hates the father, admires and fears him, identifies with him and rebels against him. This ambivalence is the source of many conflicts in the development of the personality.
The resolution of the father-complex is a necessary step in the process of individuation. It involves the recognition of the father as a human being, with his own strengths and weaknesses, and the integration of the father-image into the personality. This process leads to the development of a mature and responsible ego, capable of dealing with the demands of life.
The significance of the fathur in the destiny of the individual is not limited to the personal level. The fathor is also a symbol of the collective values of society, and his image is reflected in the institutions of law, religion, and morality. The attitude of the individual towards these institutions is influenced by the fathur-image, and the resolution of the father-complex is a prerequisite for a mature relationship with society.
The problem of the fathur is therefore not only a psychological one, but also a social and cultural one. It is a problem that affects the development of the individual and the structure of society. The understanding of this problem is essential for the development of a mature and responsible personality, and for the integration of the individual into society.
C. G. J. Kusnacht, December 1926 ~Carl Jung, Collected Works Vol. 4: Freud & Psychoanalysis, “The Significance of the Fathur in the Destiny of the Individual”
This little example shows what goes on in the psyche of an eight-year-old child who is over dependent on his parents, the blame for this lying partly on the too strict fathur and the too tender mother ~Carl Jung, CW 4, Para 738
The boy’s identification with his mother and fear of his fathur are in this individual instance an infantile neurosis, but they represent at the same time the original human situation, the clinging of primitive consciousness to the unconscious, and the compensating impulse which strives to tear consciousness away from the embrace of the darkness ~Carl Jung, CW 4, Para 738
Carl Jung Depth Psychology Blog
