Conservation of the Environment and Integration

Those whose work falls within the bounds of what Pascal termed esprit de géométrie are the so-called practical people; when they stop to assess the fruits of their labours they generally find themselves facing a reality the meaning of which is clear. Such peace of mind, however, is denied to us who, in our restless contemporary society, choose man as our object of research; we are never satisfied with the evident results of our work and seem compelled by constant doubt to delve ever deeper within ourselves in search of our own motivation. Of course not everyone thinks we should do this, and indeed Freud said that we are hopelessly ill if we busy ourselves with the meaning of our actions (FREUD 7). Maybe we are a bunch of fools, driven by destiny—how much by choice I do not know—and admittedly few in number; but, once committed, we have to follow this winding and painful road whose strange beauty may nevertheless justify a whole life. After all, psychoanalysis is but one of many modes for reflecting about himself that man has discovered in the course of history. One can say that everything has already been said, but a truth that has been previously expressed is not thereby diminished in value. The great religions and mythological systems had already given answers to questions posed at the beginning of the 19th century by psychiatrists confronted with phenomena they called ‘unconscious’. These answers had been forgotten and, in any case, the way in which they were formulated was no longer adequate, but they contained something which had to be revived if psychiatry was to emerge from its deluded ignorance.

Freud, Jung, and their earliest followers whose names are more or less well-known, were the first to appreciate the state of affairs and initiate the great cultural exchange that was called for. From the beginning psychoanalysis had wanted—perhaps it was a vital need—to extend its field of application beyond the narrow confines of nervous disturbance. This is understa