The Theory of Psychoanalysis

"The Theory of Psychoanalysis" by Carl Gustav Jung, published in 1915, is a scathing condemnation of Freud's theories on sexuality including the Oedipus-complex. This was incredibly embarrassing to Freud for his pupil to so forcefully disagree with him on an international platform, a threat which Freud never had in his academic career. Freud's hegemony in the field of psychology was challenged by this lecture. Jung started to explore the idea of the collective unconscious in this publication – a shared reservoir of experiences and symbols that have universal meanings across cultures. Building on his earlier works like the "Diagnostische Assoziationsstudien," Jung delved deeper into the nature of complexes, describing them as emotionally charged groups of ideas or images. This edition is a new edition with an Afterword by the Translator, a philosophic index of Jung's terminology and a timeline of his life and works. This manuscript has been updated into modern English spelling. Here Jung presents his critiques and expansions of Freud's original psychoanalytic ideas. This work is notable for Jung's departure from Freud’s emphasis on sexuality as the primary driver of human behavior. Instead, Jung introduces broader psychological motivations, including his early ideas of the collective unconscious and archetypes. This text was critical in defining Jung’s break from Freud and establishing his unique approach to psychoanalysis, which incorporates both personal and collective elements of the unconscious mind.