S2 Ep80. Answer to Job. Part 8. Appraisal. - a podcast by Alan Mulhern

In this last episode of this miniseries I give Jung’s main argument and its pros and cons.

My feelings about the difficulties of the work are as follows:

Firstly, relevance. How much can it offer the modern world?

Secondly, isolationism -  its removal from the other analytic disciplines.

Thirdly, certain inconsistencies which may confuse the reader.

Fourthly, contradiction - whether the archetype of the Self is the totality or a specific archetype.

Fifthly, the inherent difficulty of the text.

Some of its strengths are as follows:

1: Its passion and tremendous personal conviction.

2:  Its roots in childhood experiences (visions, dreams).

3: Answer to Job has extra depth because of the number of esoteric traditions it is linked to.

4: Jung speaks with many voices, as it were out of the depth of many traditions.

5:  The audacity of the text.

6: Jung uses a new voice – that of archetypal psychology combined with mythology  and gnosticism.

7:  Answer to Job reinforces Jung’s impact on the practice of psychotherapy.

8: Answer to Job has a deep theological critique of Christian and Judaic civilizations.

9:  Jung insisted on the dangers of an apocalypse in our times.

10: Jung insists on the overarching metaphysical dimension to human existence.

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