Jung's Ethics

"Dan Merkur was a scholar of religious studies who knew Freud better than almost anyone else in the discipline. In mid-career he left the discipline to become a professional psychoanalyst. In his final years he turned to Jung. In Jung’s Ethics, Merkur ties ethics to the whole of Jung’s psychology. Where most writers on Jung are in no position to match up Jung with Freud, Merkur does so handily. Jung's ethics prove to be another effort at achieving individuation. An exhilarating book."-Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen; editor of Jung on Mythology and The Gnostic Jung.

"A strong, determined, sensitive exploration of Jung’s writings on ethics and the role it plays in the quality and work of consciousness. Merkur’s final book gives detailed exegeses of Jung’s texts with extended suggestions of the importance of God and ethics in human experience and nature of the self. In so doing, he furthers the Freud-Jung dialectic, opening rich perspectives for reflection. Thanks to Jon Mills for completing the edit of this volume after Merkur passed away, receiving the manuscript on the latter’s deathbed. A compendium of rich and committed thought profoundly affirming the human spirit."-Michael Eigen, author of The Psychoanalytic Mystic and Faith.

"It is sadly perplexing how the late Dan Merkur’s extensive and ingenious contributions to both religious studies and psychoanalysis have not received the attention they most certainly deserve. In his final book on Jung’s ethics, Merkur explores the clinical significance of Jung’s shadow work and forges an original rapprochement with Freudian and ego psychological approaches. True to style, the work is insightful, erudite, and far reaching."-Keith Haartman, author of Watching and Praying.

'The connections made between Jung and Freudians is of great value for those who think they already know the Swiss psychologist. Merkur places Jung in a wide context, referring not only to S. Freud and A. Freud, but to D.W. Winnicott, S. Ferenczi, A. Adler, A.E. Maeder, and E. Bleuler. Readers also get a sense of Jung's place in history, including his connections to Hegelianism, European Christianity, and the late nineteenth-century's interest in the occult and eastern practices such as yoga. Readers previously unfamiliar with Jung may end up more confused than less as to what precisely the Swiss stood for. Yet this is not a problem with Merkur's analysis so much as it is a truthful portrayal of the thought and practice of the Swiss doctor.

How is Jung’s Ethics useful for practitioners? While no case studies or other clinical examples are provided, Merkur’s clarity and extensive use of Jung’s writings make this book a quick and efficient reference for counselors unfamiliar with analytical psychology. Jung read widely on theology, mythology and philosophy, but never lost sight of the individuals he treated. Merkur makes this clear, and shows how Jung’s insights can continue to bear fruit for clinical counselors.' -----Journal of Pastorial Care & Counseling

'Merkur is praised for recognizing Jung’s priority at countering Freud’s position that the unconscious cannot think about the ethical conflicts that are experienced by the ego.' ---John Beebe, International Journal of Jungian Studies

'In Jung’s Ethics, Dan Merkur, a psychoanalyst in Toronto and the author of many books on the Inuit, psychoanalytic theory, mysticism, and drug-induced religious experience, here writes for the first time on Jungian psychology. Merkur is not abandoning Freud for Jung. A Freudian he remains. But he seeks to contrast Jung positively to Freud. Merkur draws scores of contrasts. Some of them are already known, some not. But even when the contrasts are known, Merkur illuminates them. He is especially concerned with the difference between Freud and Jung on the relationship of psychology to religion. Where Freud seeks to replace religion by psychology, Jung seeks to make psychology itself religious. Whether Jung in fact succeeds in tying psychology so tightly to religion, as Merkur contends, is considered.'---Robert A. Segal, International Journal of Jungian Studies

‘Jung’s Ethics, with its meticulous analysis of the primary texts of Jung and his psychoanalyst colleagues from different schools (as in the excellent third chapter in which the author compares Jung’s interpretation of dreams with that of Stekel, Adler, Maeder, and Freud) backs Sonu Shamdasani’s criticism of the "Freudocentric legend . . . which viewed Freud and psychoanalysis as the principal source for Jung’s work" (Jung 2009, 11; Shamdasani 2010). This is a book that every Jungian and non-Jungian psychoanalyst should have on their shelf since it differs from the hagiographic tone that is still present in many studies of Jung’s work and offers a fresh and intelligent assessment of Jung’s theoretical achievements and shortcomings. After finishing Merkur’s remarkable book, I felt that we Jungians have the moral duty to be as charitable and respectful of Freudian concepts as Merkur has been toward ours.’ – Giovanni Colacicchi, Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche

"Dan Merkur was a scholar of religious studies who knew Freud better than almost anyone else in the discipline. In mid-career he left the discipline to become a professional psychoanalyst. In his final years he turned to Jung. In Jung’s Ethics, Merkur ties ethics to the whole of Jung’s psychology. Where most writers on Jung are in no position to match up Jung with Freud, Merkur does so handily. Jung's ethics prove to be another effort at achieving individuation. An exhilarating book."-Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen; editor of Jung on Mythology and The Gnostic Jung.

"A strong, determined, sensitive exploration of Jung’s writings on ethics and the role it plays in the quality and work of consciousness. Merkur’s final book gives detailed exegeses of Jung’s texts with extended suggestions of the importance of God and ethics in human experience and nature of the self. In so doing, he furthers the Freud-Jung dialectic, opening rich perspectives for reflection. Thanks to Jon Mills for completing the edit of this volume after Merkur passed away, receiving the manuscript on the latter’s deathbed. A compendium of rich and committed thought profoundly affirming the human spirit."-Michael Eigen, author of The Psychoanalytic Mystic and Faith.

"It is sadly perplexing how the late Dan Merkur’s extensive and ingenious contributions to both religious studies and psychoanalysis have not received the attention they most certainly deserve. In his final book on Jung’s ethics, Merkur explores the clinical significance of Jung’s shadow work and forges an original rapprochement with Freudian and ego psychological approaches. True to style, the work is insightful, erudite, and far reaching."-Keith Haartman, author of Watching and Praying.

'The connections made between Jung and Freudians is of great value for those who think they already know the Swiss psychologist. Merkur places Jung in a wide context, referring not only to S. Freud and A. Freud, but to D.W. Winnicott, S. Ferenczi, A. Adler, A.E. Maeder, and E. Bleuler. Readers also get a sense of Jung's place in history, including his connections to Hegelianism, European Christianity, and the late nineteenth-century's interest in the occult and eastern practices such as yoga. Readers previously unfamiliar with Jung may end up more confused than less as to what precisely the Swiss stood for. Yet this is not a problem with Merkur's analysis so much as it is a truthful portrayal of the thought and practice of the Swiss doctor.

How is Jung’s Ethics useful for practitioners? While no case studies or other clinical examples are provided, Merkur’s clarity and extensive use of Jung’s writings make this book a quick and efficient reference for counselors unfamiliar with analytical psychology. Jung read widely on theology, mythology and philosophy, but never lost sight of the individuals he treated. Merkur makes this clear, and shows how Jung’s insights can continue to bear fruit for clinical counselors.' -----Journal of Pastorial Care & Counseling

'Merkur is praised for recognizing Jung’s priority at countering Freud’s position that the unconscious cannot think about the ethical conflicts that are experienced by the ego.' ---John Beebe, International Journal of Jungian Studies

'In Jung’s Ethics, Dan Merkur, a psychoanalyst in Toronto and the author of many books on the Inuit, psychoanalytic theory, mysticism, and drug-induced religious experience, here writes for the first time on Jungian psychology. Merkur is not abandoning Freud for Jung. A Freudian he remains. But he seeks to contrast Jung positively to Freud. Merkur draws scores of contrasts. Some of them are already known, some not. But even when the contrasts are known, Merkur illuminates them. He is especially concerned with the difference between Freud and Jung on the relationship of psychology to religion. Where Freud seeks to replace religion by psychology, Jung seeks to make psychology itself religious. Whether Jung in fact succeeds in tying psychology so tightly to religion, as Merkur contends, is considered.'---Robert A. Segal, International Journal of Jungian Studies

‘Jung’s Ethics, with its meticulous analysis of the primary texts of Jung and his psychoanalyst colleagues from different schools (as in the excellent third chapter in which the author compares Jung’s interpretation of dreams with that of Stekel, Adler, Maeder, and Freud) backs Sonu Shamdasani’s criticism of the "Freudocentric legend . . . which viewed Freud and psychoanalysis as the principal source for Jung’s work" (Jung 2009, 11; Shamdasani 2010). This is a book that every Jungian and non-Jungian psychoanalyst should have on their shelf since it differs from the hagiographic tone that is still present in many studies of Jung’s work and offers a fresh and intelligent assessment of Jung’s theoretical achievements and shortcomings. After finishing Merkur’s remarkable book, I felt that we Jungians have the moral duty to be as charitable and respectful of Freudian concepts as Merkur has been toward ours.’ – Giovanni Colacicchi, Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche