C. G. Jung in a Changing Civilization

By way of commemorating the birth of C. G. Jung one hundred years ago, I should like to say something about the role of analytical psychology in our changing civilization, the subject of the Sixth International Congress of the I.A.A.P., held during 1974. With these remarks (which constitute the theme of the presidential address I gave on that occasion) I want to focus attention on the decisive alteration of the level of human consciousness taking place, and on the crucial part the numinosum has to play in it.

First of all I wish to stress the relativity of our subject. The words ‘changing civilization’ have to be qualified in some way: civilization is always changing; it is a living organism and never stands still, although there may be periods of stagnation. We can talk only of our particular point in time: where are we in the constantly flowing stream of human development? What can we intuit about future developments, or if you prefer: what is our fantasy about the future? The next question is, of course, what can we, as analytical psychologists, possibly contribute to such future developments, how can analytical psychology possibly exert a beneficial, constructive influence?

Let us look at our cultural scene, with its symptoms of crisis, disorientation and alienation, in the briefest possible way.

One of the mainstays of civilization has been religion; the safe centre of civilization rested in the family; science promised continuous and beneficial progress; politics were run on the safe basis of the division of responsibilities rooted in orderly class distinctions; art contributed aesthetical satisfaction and harmony. It seems almost superfluous to mention the contrasting situation in which we find ourselves today. Organized religion has lost its hold and meaning for the majority of people; family life, marriage, the relationship between parents and children, are full of critical uncertainties; science has lost its magic and has led us astray just as much as it has