Become what you are. Søren Kierkegaard and Carl Gustav Jung on Freedom in Self-becoming
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2024
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Abstract
This dissertation explores the theoretical parallels between Søren Kierkegaard and CarlJung regarding the structure of the self, individuation, and the role of freedom in humanexistence, despite Jung's initial reservations and criticisms of Kierkegaard's work. WhileJung's references to Kierkegaard have been scarce and critical, recent scholarship suggestsa deeper connection between their ideas. This research contends that both Kierkegaardand Jung perceive the human condition from the standpoint of fundamentalanthropologies, emphasizing the search for individuality and the exercise of freedom.Kierkegaard and Jung share the view that the self is a reality to be posited and constituted,with freedom being a central element in the process of self-realization. Kierkegaardhighlights the paradoxical nature of freedom, distinguishing it from mere free will,whereas Jung sees freedom as a complex interplay between the ego and the unconscious,integral to the process of individuation. Despite differences in terminology and theoreticalframeworks, both thinkers ultimately conceive of freedom as essential to the developmentof selfhood. The dissertation is structured into three parts. Part 1 delves into Kierkegaard'sperspective, focusing on works such as The Sickness Unto Death (1849) and The Conceptof Anxiety (1844), which elucidate his views on selfhood and freedom. Part 2 examinesJung's ideas, drawing from works like Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self (1951) and The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (1959), where one can find Jung’s understanding of the Self archetype and discussions on the problem offreedom. Part 3, "The Paradoxical Analogy", offers a comparative exploration ofanalogous themes in Kierkegaard and Jung, emphasizing both similarities and differences in their approaches. The methodology employed is theoretical and bibliographical,involving interpretation and discussion of primary and secondary sources. A dialectical hermeneuticmethod is used to analyze texts, aiming at an understanding of the synchronic relationship between themes while considering diachronic developments. The dissertationargues for a paradoxical understanding of freedom in both Kierkegaard and Jung, challenging conventional interpretations and high lighting the importance of freedom in the pursuit of selfhood. Concerning Kierkegaard, it develops the structure of the self and the opposition between freedom and free will, while, when it comes to Jung, it focuses onthe relation between the ego and the Self archetype, and the axial part freedom playswithin such a relation. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of Kierkegaard and Jung's ideas, shedding light on their shared concerns regarding human existence and the quest for individuality.
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Tesis (Doctor en Filosofía)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2024