Abstract

Swiss-born Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) was one of the pioneers of psychology, largely responsible for the introduction of now-familiar psychological terms such as “introvert,” “extrovert,” and “collective unconscious.” But in spite of this, Jung has often remained on the fringes of academic discourse. Seeking to understand Jung in view of not only his life, but also in light of his extensive reading and prolific writing, this new biography reclaims Jung as a major European thinker whose true significance has not been fully appreciated.
 
Paul Bishop follows Jung from his early childhood to his years at the University of Basel and his close relationship—and eventual break—with Sigmund Freud. Exploring Jung’s ideas, Bishop takes up the psychiatrist’s suggestion that “the tragedies of Goethe’s Faust and Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra . . . mark the first glimmerings of a breakthrough of total experience in our Western hemisphere,” engaging with Jung’s scholarship to offer one of the fullest appreciations yet of his distinctive approach to culture. Bishop also considers the role that the Red Book, written between 1914 and 1930 but not published until 2009, played in the progression of Jung’s thought, allowing Bishop to provide a new assessment of this divisive personality. Jung’s attempt to synthesize the different parts of human life, Bishop argues, marks the man as one of the most important theorists of the twentieth century.
 
Providing a compelling examination of the life of this highly influential figure, the concise and accessible Carl Jung will find a place on the shelves of students, scholars, and both clinical and amateur psychologists alike.
“This excellent addition to the Critical Lives series is, says Paul Bishop, ‘a biography of Jung in books.’ In particular, Bishop locates Jung in a philosophical and literary context, demonstrating ‘how deeply and profoundly Jung belongs to a broader stream of thought in German culture.’ For Jung, his library was his laboratory and so this approach is especially valuable in revealing the significance of analytical psychology as a cultural project. . . . a wonderfully rich intellectual biography.”  — Guardian
“Unlike many biographies of Jung, this is a balanced, unbiased portrayal. As part of the ‘Critical Lives’ series, the volume looks at Jung’s life from childhood to death, examining the culture, contemporary thought, and philosophy of the time period.”
— Choice
“In his book Carl Jung, Bishop has woven a narrative of Jung’s life that bypasses a linear history with a recursive and complex story that would make Jung proud. . . . An even-handed description of the intertwining influences that contributed to the creation of the Jung that we have come to know. . . . A masterful, albeit brief exposition.”  — PsycCritiques
“A complex life has been given a sensitive and complex treatment, with many small corners of thought to dwell upon. Bishop has given both the student of Jung and the casual reader much to enjoy.”
— Metapsychology
Paul Bishop holds the William Jacks Chair of Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow and is the author of Reading Goethe at Midlife: Ancient Wisdom, German Classicism, and Jung and Jung’s “Answer to Job”: A Commentary.