ABSTRACT
For a full and comparative evaluation of Jung’s theory to be undertaken, more data need to be generated in relation to key constructs and hypothesised processes. This will require interdisciplinary cooperation in a long-term project. Here I examine the value of two of Jung’s key concepts – the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious, and archetypes – against the criteria of coherence and validity, as programmatic examples to demonstrate what can be done. For reasons of space, it has been necessary to make a selection. The reason for choosing these two criteria as examples is that these are the most challenging, and they are considered fundamental by almost all the authors whose textbooks I reviewed in Chapter 6 . Validity is important because some have claimed that Jung’s work lacks credibility – many psychologists think of Jung’s ideas as akin to ‘phlogiston’, that is to say quaint, unusual, outdated, and mistaken. 1 Structural coherence is important because it underpins logic and because it enables Jung’s theory to be considered from a scientifi c perspective.
