Senex and Puer

by James Hillman

This volume, for the first time, collects James Hillman’s running encounters with a primary psychological pattern, an archetype that arises alongside the very attempt to fashion psychological perspective. Senex and puer are Latin terms for “old man” and “youth,” and personify the poles of tradition, stasis, structure, and authority on one side, and immediacy, wandering, invention and idealism on the other. The senex consolidates, grounds and disciplines; the puer flashes with insight and thrives on fantasy and creativity. These diverging, conflicting tendencies are ultimately interdependent, forming two faces of the one configuration, each face never far from the other. “Old” and “new” maybe the most direct terms for the pair.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Astrology

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

James Hillman (1926-2011) was an American psychologist. He served in the US Navy Hospital Corps from 1944 to 1946, after which he attended the Sorbonne in Paris, studying English Literature, and Trinity College, Dublin, graduating with a degree in mental and moral science in 1950.

In 1959, he received his PhD from the University of Zurich, as well as his analyst's diploma from the C.G. Jung Institute and founded a movement toward archetypal psychology, was then appointed as Director of Studies at the institute, a position he held until 1969.

In 1970, Hillman became editor of Spring Publications, a publishing company devoted to advancing Archetypal Psychology as well as publishing books on mythology, philosophy and art. His magnum opus, Re-visioning Psychology, was written in 1975 and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Hillman then helped co-found the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture in 1978.

Retired into private practice, writing and traveling to lecture, until his death at his home in Connecticut on October 27, 2011 from bone cancer.

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m BINGING on JAMES HILLMAN lately.

He’s REARRANGING my mind from the GRAVE via his AMAZING writing and his IMMORTAL SOUL ESSENCE.

I love him.

He’s quite suddenly become one of my SPIRITUAL/INTELLECTUAL GODFATHERS.

The PUER and the SENEX is FOUNDATIONAL.

FUNDAMENTAL for the ANTIFUNDAMENTALIST.

Hillman (along with Robert Bly and Michael Meade) was a founder of the 1980’s men’s movement. As such, Hillman is very interested in archetypes endemic to the male psyche.

The book is a deep EXPLORATION/EXPOSITION on the Puer Aeternus and the Senex archetypes.

These archetypes are not STRICTLY MALE in GENDER. Women and nonbinary people possess these ARCHETYPES/ENERGIES too.

But they are MALE in the MYTHIC sense.

And CONFLICTS/INTERACTIONS between these ARCHETYPES play out within and between us, in stories and myth, and out there in the WORLD.

The Puer Aeternus (Eternal Youth)

The Puer Aeternus represents eternal youth, often characterized by a reluctance to grow up and face the responsibilities of adult life.

Think:
* Peter Pan Syndrome
* Man Child
* Failure to Launch
* The Addicted Lover
* Oedipal Son
* Mama's Boy
* The Son Husband

The Puer archetype embodies qualities such as spontaneity, creativity, and idealism but can also manifest as a tendency towards escapism, irresponsibility, and a lack of direction.

Given the current state of masculinity. Extremely negative examples shouldn’t be hard to conger.

Sounds like Scumbag Steve (for those of you old enough to remember that classic meme), or those in-cell, mgtow, gamer reddit dudes.

Or like EVERY HIPPY DUDE EVER!

The Puer is archetype driven by the desire for freedom and often resists the constraints imposed by society, seeking instead to remain in a state of perpetual exploration and potential.

FUK YEAH!

FIGHT THE POWER.

FIND YOURSELF!

FOLLOW YOUR BILSS!

TUNE IN!

TURN ON!

DROP OUT!

While the PUER is the easy butt of shaming jokes, and shadow projections. The Puer can bring a sense of wonder, vitality, sexuality and the creative spark to life.

Yes!

Artists.

Visionary poets.

Rockstars.

* Robert Plan
* David Bowie
* Keith Richard’s
* David Lee Roth

All serve MASSIVE BDE PUER AETERNUS REALNESS!

So FUCK ALL YALL.

The Senex (Wise/Grouchy Old Man)

The Senex archetype represents wisdom, maturity, responsibility, and an understanding of the complexities of life.

The SENEX embodies discipline, order, structure, and authority.

THE SENEX HAS HIS SHIT TOGETHER.

He has a 401k.

He has AWESOME CREDIT.

He serves LEXUS minivan REALNESS.

Sideways pleather cellphone belt clip.

Too many keys.

Old dogs rule T-shirt.

REALESTATE PORTFOLIO REALNESS!

YASS ZADY!

The Senex is associated with an ability to plan for the future, to create and maintain systems, and to uphold traditions and rules.

AND FUCK THE HELL OUT OF A SPEADSHEAT!

Fuck yes they do…

MICROSOFT EXCEL FROM HELL!

However, the Senex shadow can manifest as rigidity, authoritarianism, cynicism, and a reluctance to accept change or new ideas.

Oh GOD!

It serves:
* Trump boat rallies
* Thin blue line flags
* Nicely organized garages
* Orange County election volunteers

PUER/SENEX INTERPLAY/CONFLICT

The tension between the Puer Aeternus and the Senex archetypes reflects the psychological challenges individuals face in balancing creativity and responsibility, idealism and realism, freedom and discipline.

I’m reflecting on more than a few conversations I had with my dad when I was planning on leaving Michigan to go to Art School in San Francisco.

There was DEFINITELY some tension there.

A healthy psyche integrates aspects of both archetypes, allowing for the innovation and vitality of the Puer to be grounded by the wisdom and stability of the Senex.

I’m thinking Gandalph (I’m GenX).

If you’re a millennial, you’re probably thinking some Harry Potter shit.

And if you’re GenZ…

I’m not at all sure (except for Braxton - see comments).

Maybe Jonathan Van Ness?

He’s more of a millennial thing I guess.

I have Like no fucking idea what yall are into.

I am getting pretty solid on what you’re NOT into.

Y’all are making that pretty clear.

It’s like pretty darn close to NO-ONE and NOTHING.

AND I VIBE!

ANYWAY.

Some might say.

Integration of PUER/SENEX facilitates personal growth, enabling individuals to navigate life's complexities with a balanced approach that honors both their youthful aspirations and their mature obligations.

But I think HILLMAN would HATE THAT.

He REALLY hated that type of LITERALIZATION and CO-OPTATION of ARCHETYPES into SELF HELP or SELF IMPROVEMENT SYSTEMS.

He wanted to FREE the ARCHETYPES from that type of ENSLAVEMENT to ENLIGHTENMENT.

Hillman is

ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT

ANTI-LITERAL

ANTI-ANTI-INTELLECTUAL

He’s IMPOSSIBLE!

And I LIVE!

5/5 STARS ⭐️

[Marcin Bartnicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I wickedly enjoyed, possibly, at least for me, Hillman at his finest. A collection of papers, written between the 60s and the 90s, it came to me at the most appropriate moment, that of a personal kairos, one could say. Nonetheless, in the age of Mercurial narcissism of the Puer Aeternus being described as one of the greatest problems of the day, only to be rivalled by the Saturnine melancholy, depression and cynicism of the Senex, with the West tackling both the statue-toppling demographies who do not wish to remember history, and the aging population that just wants to prolong the Golden Age, with no concern for future generations, several decades after it was written, it remains uncannilly topical. Hillman would privably hate that last observation, though, what with him decrying the „Now” culture, literalism and concretism at every turn!

[Albert Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Hillman's Senex and Puer comes highly recommended.
I have given it 5 stars.
True, both Hillman's mastery of language and insight into human beings comes
across a tad verbose at times. He can make rather sweeping statements that
to the unearthed punter might appear more poetic and less factual.
One must go beyond and get 'caught up' with Hillman's writing and perhaps, over tea,
meditate on the basic assumptions from which points are made in this book.
I, for one, love Hillman's observations. He is the Champion of Psyche.

[Philippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume has been a constant companion these past years. My e-book shows almost 900 highlighted sections. I have thoroughly internalised the invitation extended by the puer-senex archetype. It has had a major impact on the way I frame my personal developmental challenges.

The first piece is title 'Senex and Puer: an aspect of the historical and psychological present' and was written in 1967. The timing is interesting. A moment of countercultural ferment and youthful challenge to authority. The brink of the concluding third of the 20th century as well as the concluding thirtieth of the millennium. So: a moment of transition in world history. And I can't overlook the proximity to the timing of my own birth. As the essay's title hints at, Hillman sees a continuum between individual challenges, wider cultural clashes and tensions at the level of the archetypes that bind collective history and personal emotions. Therefore the kairos of transition in world history needs to be matched with a transition within the microcosm of our individual psychological make-up. The premise of archetypal psychology is that both hinge on our ability to grasp essence through archetypal patterns. For Hillman the 'senex-puer problem' may be at the root of archetypal psychology because of its special relationship with time as process.

Senex ('old man') and puer ('youth') are two faces of an archetypal whole. In a simplified view they personify the poles of tradition, history, harvest, stasis, structure, and authority on one side, and immediacy, wandering, invention, blossoming, revolt, a-historicism and idealism on the other. Rather than phases in life they are two primary modes of apprehending lived experience and so can manifest themselves at all times.

Hillman writes: "This primary polarity, however, is given only as a potential within the archetype, which theoretically is not divided into poles. The archetype per se is ambivalent and paradoxical, embracing both spirit and nature, psyche and matter, consciousness and unconsciousness; in it the yea and nay are one. There is neither day nor night, but rather a continual dawning."

At a psychological level the development of ego-consciousness leads to a split of the archetype and the emergence of puer and senex as antagonistic poles. Ego replaces the soul as the center of the conscious personality. Where the soul was able to subsume the tensions through feeling connections and mythic unities, the ego dresses itself in the authoritative dominant of consciousness. In doing so, it leans on the senex as certainty principle. Hillman: "Thus we concluse that the senex is there at the beginning as an archetypal root of ego-formation. It makes consolidation of the ego possible, giving its rule an identity within fixed borders, its tendency to omnivorous rapacious self-aggrandizement through the principle of association with consciousness, and its perpetuation through habit, memory, repetition and time. These qualities - identity of borders, association with consciousness, continuity - we use to describe the ego, and these qualities are each properties of the senex."

Senex style systems, structures, and appeals to authority have tended to dominate our ways of seeing, so Hillman enters the problem from the side of the puer.

The puer as untethered pole has its own qualities and problems. It stands for wandering and eternal beginnings. But despite its prima facie changeability, the puer does not manifest real development. In that absence of learning puer and senex are joined. Senex grinds itself to a halt in empty habit. Puer is constantly enacting the infinite potential that it partakes of via its direct connection with eternal spirit: "It has a pose - phallic cavalier, pensive poet, messenger - but not a persona of adaptation." Puer always hankers after the perfection of itself. Hillman writes: "It can search and risk; it has insight, aesthetic intuition, spiritual ambition (...) the puer attitude displays an aesthetic point of view: the world as beautiful images or as vast scenario. Life becomes literature, an adventure of intellect or science, or of religion or action, but always unreflected and unrelated and therefore unpsychological. (...) The puer in any complex gives it drive and drivenness, makes it move too fast, want too much, go too far, not only because of the oral hunger and omnipotence fantasies of the childish, but archetypally because the world can never satisfy the demands of the spirit or match its ideal beauty. Hungering for eternal experience makes one a consumer of profane events."

It's a precarious position. When the puer's connection with spirit is broken, it falls with broken wings and tumbles into the negative senex. Enthusiasm gives way to cynicism, passivity, withdrawal. Or the negative puer indulges in empty hyperactivity. "A person is caught in the puer activities of social rebellion, intellectual technology, or physical adventure with redoubled energy and loss of goal." He or she becomes 'otherworldly' while "in the unconscious the senex position builds up with a compulsive vengeance until with all the force of historical necessity it takes over its turn, switching the only-puer into an only-senex."

The challenge is to regain "the union of sames", to re-establish in some sense the wholeness of the puer-and-senex archetype. Hillman says that a reunion is worth every effort "not for the success or cure it might bring, but because each attempt makes us aware of the split and thereby begins healing." How is this re-approximation of polarities to be done? What would we experience in this rapprochement? Let us start with the latter question. Hillman: "As an early sign of this reunion we may expect a new experience of ambivalence (...) ambivalence is natural, as the necessary concomitant to the ambiguity of psychic wholeness whose light is in a twilight state. (...) Living in ambivalence is living where yea and nay, light and darkness, right action and wrong, are held closely together and are difficult to distinguish. Psychology usually attempts to meet this condition through reaffirming consciousness by decision and differentiation: solidify and strengthen the ego; turn against the mixture of feelings and the indistinct soft light of the first-half or of old age. But ambivalence, rather than being overcome in this manner, may be developed within its own principle. It is a way in itself. As there is a way of decision, there is also a way of ambivalence; and this way can comprehend the archetype in its wholeness, leading one down even to the psychoid level. Ambivalence rather than corrected may be encouraged towards encompassing ever more profound paradoxes and symbols, which always release ambivalent feelings that hinder clarity and decisiveness. Paradox and symbol express the co-existence of polarity, the fundamental two-headed duality that is both logically absurd and symbolically true. Ambivalence is the adequate reaction of the whole psyche to these whole truths. To cure away ambivalence removes the eye with which we can perceive the paradox."

The re-approximation is not an effort of will, "since the willful mind is the splitting instrument." We can only engage in a therapeutic process of progressive mediation between the senex/puer polarity and this process is inevitably characterised by the ambivalence of the penumbral world of the unconscious.