Synopses & Reviews
Jung's Four and Some Philosophers provides a context in which to understand the widely differing claims of philosophers. The "four" in the title refers to the four faculties that Jung sees in every psyche. These faculties occur in pairs: thinking and feeling, sensation and intuition. One of these faculties will dominate and determine one's psychological type -- among philosophers it characterizes what they find self-evident. If thinking dominates, its opposite (feeling) is repressed to the unconscious, and vice versa. If intuition dominates, sensation is repressed, and vice versa. To achieve wholeness, the individual must seek the repressed faculty in the mysterious unconscious and then integrate it with the other three conscious faculties.
Jung's Four and Some Philosophers is a valuable source for all students and teachers of philosophy, Jungian analysts, counselors, and spiritual directors, and those seeking a common wisdom in the great philosophers.
Synopsis
Thomas M. King, S.J. uses Jungian/Myers-Briggs typology to understand the different starting points of twelve philosophers, then uses Jungian patterns of "integration" to show similarities in their development.
Jung's Four and Some Philosophers provides a context in which to understand the widely differing claims of philosophers. The "four" in the title refers to the four faculties that Jung sees occurring in pairs in every psyche: thinking and its opposite, feeling; sensation and its opposite, intuition. One of these four will dominate (among philosophers it will characterize what they find self-evident), while the dominant's opposite is repressed into the mysterious unconscious. Thus, a thinker will repress one's feelings. To achieve wholeness, the philosopher must pass beyond what is known to seek the missing faculty and integrate it with the faculties of consciousness. King demonstrates this with highly documented studies of twelve philosophers: Plato, Locke, Sartre, Augustine, Descartes, Spinoza, Rousseau, Kant, Kierkegaard, Whitehead, Hume, and Teilhard, and a final reflection that considers the philosophic and religious quest.