Synopses & Reviews
The modern world has witnessed a dramatic breakthrough of the dark, negative forces of human nature. The "old ethic," which pursued an illusory perfection by repressing the dark side, has lost its power to deal with contemporary problems. Erich Neumann was convinced that the deadliest peril now confronting humanity lay in the "scapegoat" psychology associated with the old ethic. We are in the grip of this psychology when we project our own dark shadow onto an individual or group identified as our "enemy," failing to see it in ourselves. The only effective alternative to this dangerous shadow projection is shadow recognition, acknowledgement, and integration into the totality of the self. Wholeness, not perfection, is the goal of the new ethic.
Synopsis
"Neumann argues his case with a boldness and passion well matched by his penetrating insights and thoughtfulness. I welcome this book as the first notable attempt to formulate the ethical problems raised by the discovery of the unconscious and to make them a subject of discussion." --From the foreword by C. G. Jung
About the Author
Erich Neumann was a psychoanalyst who studied with C. G. Jung in Zurich. Trained in philosophy and medicine, he was also a poet and novelist. Dr. Neumann practiced analytical psychology in Tel Aviv from 1934 until his death in 1960. Among his other books are The Child, The Great Mother, and The Origins and History of Consciousness.