Jung's Theory of Personality
A modern reappraisal
Routledge – 2014 – 220 pages
Routledge – 2014 – 220 pages
This book provides a re-appraisal of Carl Jung’s work as a personality theorist. It offers a detailed consideration of Jung’s work and theory in order to demystify some of the ideas that psychologists have found most difficult, such as Jung’s religious and alchemical writings. The book shows why these two elements of his theory are integral to his psychology of personality and goes on to propose a framework on which to base a collaborative research programme that could provide much needed and, at present, unavailable validation data for some of Jung’s key theoretical concepts.
Divided into two parts, theory and practice, the author begins by emphasising the importance of religion and alchemy for understanding Jung’s key concepts of individuation and the self, as well the link between Jung’s concept of the archetype and its function in the development and transformation of personality. The book considers the whole of Jung’s work as a comprehensive theory of personality to which all strands, including his writings on religion and on alchemy contribute. The second part of the book is both empirical and theoretical. Crellin reviews the history of the presentation of Jung’s work in personality literature and discusses how inaccurate representation, the limitations of existing evaluation criteria, and consequent negative perceptions of Jung’s theory in textbooks of personality psychology have contributed to the creation of a mythical Jung.
This book will appeal to both psychological practitioners who are unfamiliar, or only have a vague understanding of Jung’s ideas, as well as Jungian psychoanalysts, who are knowledgeable about Jung’s writings, but whose training may not have addressed the problem of theory evaluation in relation to Jung’s theory.
'Grounded in a thorough study of practically the whole of Jung’s published oeuvre as well as an innovative survey of psychology textbooks, Clare Crellin’s book makes a compelling case for the present-day relevance of Jung's personality theory. Crellin not only develops a helpful set of general criteria for evaluating personality theories but also, when applying these criteria to Jung's distinctive model, maintains an assured balance in stressing the scientific character of his thought while not shying away from the integral importance of its religious and alchemical aspects. Scholarly, sensitive, and insightful, this is an important contribution to both Jungian studies and personality psychology.' - Professor Roderick Main, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Essex, UK
‘The distinctive comparative and multi-disciplinary approach of this book makes it invaluable, both to encourage understanding of the relevance of personality theory for contemporary clinical practice, and to re-stimulate critical interest in Jung's work. The book goes beyond Jung's theory alone, to offer a comprehensive framework for evaluating personality theories in general.’ - Professor John Hall, Centre for Health, Medicine and Society, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Introduction Part 1: The Theory Itself Jung’s Theory of Personality. The Place of Religion in Jung’s Personality Theory. Psychological Types, Creativity, and the Active Imagination. Alchemy and Individuation. The Role of the Archetype in Personality Part 2: Evaluating and Reappraising Jung’s Personality Theory Jung’s Theory in 65 years of Personality Textbooks. Criteria for Evaluating Personality Theories. An Approach to Evaluating Jung’s Personality Theory. Appendix 1. Appendix 2. Appendix 3. Appendix 4.
Clare Crellin is a retired consultant clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and current external examiner based in the United Kingdom, with experience of mentoring and supervising counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychologists in adult mental health services in the National Health Service and private practices.