Integrity in Depth

Carolyn and Ernest Fay Series in Analytical Psychology

by John Beebe

A measure of our need for integrity, John Beebe writes, isthat "we rarely allow ourselves an examination of the concept itself. To do so would betray an unspoken philosophic, poetic, and psychological rule of our culture: not to disturb the mystery of what we desire most." In this book, Beebe reveals much about the nature of integrity while honoring its central mystery. Beebe traces the evolution of the concept from a moral and theological notion to a psychological one. He explores the Eastern understanding of integrity, as well, basing his discussion on pre-Confucian manuscripts of the Tao Te Ching. Viewing anxiety and shame as functions of integrity, he shows the contributions depth psychology can make to integrity's development. He also looks at the ways sex difference and our resulting notions of gender have colored our culture's experience and expression of integrity. Drawing on his own years of experience as a psychotherapist, Beebe shows how the holding environment of psychotherapy can use delight and rage, and dreams and transference to reveal and foster individual integrity. Integrity in Depth is a groundbreaking work that moves the reader to think in a new way about the psychological basis of moral wholeness. right to the heart of one of the most important intersections in contemporary cultural discourse. . . . the writing invites comparison with Jung himself."—Andrew Samuels, author of The Plural Psyche interprets with such clarity the unseen interplay between the psyche and the cultural landscape."—Peter Rutter, author of Sex in the Forbidden Zone

Author Biography: JOHN BEEBE is a psychiatrist and Jungian analyst and a past president of the C. G. Jung Insititute of San Francisco.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy

165 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

Reviews

[Marsha Altman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I know less about integrity than I did before I started reading.

Fun aside: This book was written in 1992 and refers to Woody Allen as "One of our best moral artists." (p. 59)