Jung, Time and Ethics

The lens of temporality yields many insights into the ethical perspective of C.G. Jung. In order to provide a context for discussion, I first elaborate some broader perspectives on temporality, providing a brief genealogy illustrating the intimate connection between the emergence of temporality and the emergence of human culture. As philosophical thought evolves, Aristotle states that we cannot fully know the past or predict the future, arguing for the perspective of phronesis, or practical wisdom: an ethical knowledge that only emerges in time. He contrasts his ideas with the Platonic perspective of epistêmê, or ‘timeless’ truth. Influenced by the latter tradition, Jung often privileges ‘timeless’ archetypes, unfavourably contrasting that perspective with the ‘personal unconscious’, the experience of everyday temporality. Although he consistently affirms the moral obligation of consciousness, his theories often seem to undermine his intent and leave one with the impression that the ‘archetype’ is responsible for human actions. I specifically elaborate on these tendencies in Jung’s thinking, first focusing on his early poem, Septem Sermones Ad Mortuos (The Seven Sermons to the Dead). That work clearly privileges a ‘timeless’ dimension. Examples from his other writings further illustrate a devaluation of lived time, the personal unconscious, in favour of a ‘timeless’ archetypal perspective. This detracts from our everyday experience of ethical responsibility. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex dramatically highlights the connection of time, memory and ethical knowledge. Later in his life, Jung’s deep interest in alchemy seems to represent a step towards a more process-oriented perspective, with an emphasis on the importance of the prima materia, the ‘stuff’ of life that is often rejected and thrown away. This implies a degree of shift in his ethical perspective towards valuing the everyday process of temporal experience. Here, there is less sense of division between the archetypal and the everyday. Some late statements from his Letters amplify that viewpoint.