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Gerhard Adler is one of the most representative disciples of C. G. Jung. His book originated in lectures which were given in London from 1936 to 1945. Adler says he does not give any systematic presentation of Jung's concepts, but one can get pretty complete information about Jung's ideas from this book.
As one may expect from a faithful disciple, Jung is placed very high on the scale of European science and culture. Close to him, but still below, are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Freud, the last being characterized by quotations from Jung as the 'great destroyer who bursts the shackles of the past', who has the 'passionate power of enlightenment', but who is also 'conditioned and limited by his own era—the nineteenth century', the 'shallowness and self-deceits' of which Adler not infrequently emphasizes. Besides being a scientist, Jung is presented as a European spiritual center which will enable Western men to liberate themselves and will unite East and West. The author considers Freud to be close to Jung. While reading the book one often is impressed by the similarity of concepts. The parting point between Freud and Jung is mentioned—significantly enough—in the chapter about the psychological approach to religion (p. 178). Jung 'showed that the libido has a dichotomous way, namely, that of instinctual processes and that of spiritual processes'. Those who wish to study the metaphysics of the collective unconscious and the archetypes, which play such a decisive rôle in the Jungian interpretation of dreams, will find an excellent exposé in