The Empty Self: C. G. Jung & the Gnostic Transformation of Modern Identity

Rating:
Summary: A penetrating look at the forces which shape modern identity
Review: This is an excellent (though brief) analysis of the influence of Jungian and Gnostic thought on Western society today. The writer is a former Jungian psychiatrist, and is amply qualified to write on this subject. He traces the modern preoccupation with self from the time of the Renaissance to the present day, showing how the Renaissance marked a shift from a God-centred cosmos to a man-centred one. The author also demonstates how Carl Jung built his psychological framework on an essentially Gnostic/Occult foundation and cast it in scientific-sounding terminology. He finishes his book by highlighting the dangerous effect on public morals which will come about by the embracing of a Jungian/Gnostic worldview which rejects absolute values.

Satinover's book will be of most interest and value to anyone with a background in Jungian Psychiatry who wants a better understanding of the factors which shaped Jung's thought.