The Phenomenon of the Self

Why did Jung see in Christ the perfect image of inner wholeness? How does the early Christian sign of the Savior—the Fish—relate to the phenomenology of the self, and what lies behind the unceasing conflict between Christ and the Antichrist? An unusual work by a distinguished psychologist at the crossroads of religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis.

“Studies in the Phenomenology of the Self” is one of the most original works in Jung’s legacy, written at the intersection of philosophy, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, and the study of religion. Here the scholar examines the symbols through which psychic wholeness manifests itself, and—according to his own concept—identifies the figure of Jesus Christ as its most telling historical embodiment. Building on this, Jung reveals the multi-layered meaning of the early Christian symbol of the Savior—the Fish—and also reflects on the semantic dichotomy between the images of Christ and the Antichrist.