Archetype of the Shadow: Understanding Human Disposition Towards Evil

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract

In the last few decades, archetype theory has become one of the most important concepts in psychology. It is fundamental to building a comprehensive and deep understanding of human psychology, behavior and contemporary culture.

We are living in a time when the history is repeating itself – a war has broken out again in Europe. After February 24, 2022, when the Russian forces invaded Ukraine, more and more reports began to emerge about the incredible atrocities taking place in this war. The evidence was overwhelming, and the content is horrific beyond belief. While still trying to get over the initial shock, it is necessary to ask: how is such evil possible? How can a human being commit something like that - where is the root of this evil?

The answer is offered by Carl Gustav Jung's analytical psychology. In his time, Jung devoted much attention to the question of how Nazism arose and flourished in Germany resulting in war and holocaust. His answer focuses on the depth structures of the collective unconscious, namely the archetypes, among which one of the most important ones is the archetype of the Shadow.

As it is defined by Jung, Shadow is an archetypal structure of the personal part of the psyche, the rejected part of the Ego: “the thing he has no wish to be” (Jung, CW 16, § 470). Shadow consists of all the elements of the personality that have been deemed worthless, harmful, disturbing, and have thus been dissociated. Does this mean that evil is rooted deeply into the fabric of human existence? How can we handle it? Is the unconscious evil? What is the relation between good and evil? These and other questions will be addressed in the presentation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages23
Number of pages1
Publication statusPublished - 2023
EventRSU research week 2023: University Teaching and Learning - RSU Medical Education Technology Centre, Riga, Latvia
Duration: 30 Mar 202330 Mar 2023
https://rw2023.rsu.lv/conferences/university-teaching-and-learning

Conference

ConferenceRSU research week 2023: University Teaching and Learning
Abbreviated titleRW2023
Country/TerritoryLatvia
CityRiga
Period30/03/2330/03/23
Internet address

Keywords*

  • medical humanities
  • the problem of evil
  • analytical psychology
  • Carl Jung

Field of Science*

  • 5.1 Psychology

Publication Type*

  • 3.4. Other publications in conference proceedings (including local)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Archetype of the Shadow: Understanding Human Disposition Towards Evil'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this