The self in the thought of Kierkegaard, Sartre and Jung

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The problem explored in this study concerns authenticity, and can be formulated asthe question: 'How does one become oneself? In order to answer this query, relatedissues must be addressed, for example: the nature of consciousness/ self-awareness;the individual's relationship to society; the meaning of existence, and so forth. Thereply's of three thinkers, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Jung, will be discussed in thisinvestigation. They have been selected for several reasons: Each of their respectivetheories addresses issues that are generally pertinent in contemporary society, such as:the alienation and dissociation of individuals from each other and themselves throughmass-mindedness and the impersonal nature of state and religious institutions; theanxiety that many experience due to, firstly, a lack of confidence in the abovementionedinstitutions and, secondly, a loss of trust in existing (political, religious,moral, social) life-strategies, because these often fail to give a convincing sense ofmeaning and purpose to life. Each of the three thinkers places the 'self at the center oftheir philosophy, and addresses many similar themes which share between them afamily resemblance that admits of comparison. The theories are presented in an orderthat · allows for a dialectical approach to the problem of self: Kierkegaard'sfundamentally Christian theory is presented as thesis, and Sartre's atheistic position asanti-thesis. Jung's theory of the psyche is presented as synthesis, because it is antimetaphysical,but nevertheless claims to prove empirically that a convincing religious/spiritual experience is the key ingredient for authenticity. The outcome of theenquiry will show that the three thinkers point from different directions towards thesame basic conceptualization of the 'self: The self is both a project and a goal or, toput it differently, a journey and a destination, the goal/destination being thesynthesis of the various disparate and conflicting elements that influence or make upthe personality. The study as a whole echoes the three individual approaches indescribing the condition of modem man as a malady or sickness, which is the lack ofauthenticity, of which the symptoms are falsehood, anxiety, alienation, crippledrelationships, lack of responsibility and adaptibility, and perhaps, on a larger scale,issues such as social/ political injustice and conflict. The cure for this malady is anenhancement of consciousness/ awareness that is known as 'the self. The self is seenas a 'becoming' and a choice, a dynamic synthesis, something which is not given andcannot be taken for granted, but must be actively striven for. The study outlines andexplores the nature and value of such a project towards the self.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University