Jung's Psychology and Its Social Meaning

by Ira Progoff

Book by Progoff, Ira

Genres: Psychology

299 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

The former director of Dialogue House, Dr. Ira Progoff has worked toward a dynamic, humanistic psychology as private therapist, lecturer, and group leader. He has served as Bollingen Fellow and as Director of the Institute for Research in Depth Psychology at Drew University. He was a leading authority on C.G. Jung, depth psychology and transpersonal psychology as well as journal writing.

Dr. Progoff completed his doctoral dissertation on the psychology of C.G. Jung from the New School for Social Research in New York City. His thesis was published in 1953 as Jung's Psychology and Its Social Meaning. He is best known for his development of the Intensive Journal® Program and the Process Meditation method.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was Progoff's 1953 doctoral dissertation at the New School of Social Research. Since Jung is weak on the socio-political implications of his psychology, this work, like Neumann's Depth Psychology & a New Ethic, was a welcome read during the period I was immersed in Analytical Psychology.

[Bohdan Pechenyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of Carl Jung’s psychological theories, with an in-depth and comprehensive interpretation of their social and cultural importance. Having started a certain line (or multiple lines, to be more accurate) of research, Jung knew he would not be able to complete or exhaust its possibilities, so he consciously left his work in an incomplete state that would need to be continued by his disciples, intellectual descendants and colleagues. Ira Progoff was one such colleague from USA, who’s written a brilliant set of works looking at the various aspects of Jung’s work. This overview is invaluable to understanding the import and depth of analytical psychology.

[Samuel Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ira Progoff understood the significance of Jung's work better than most authors in recent times - seeing the core of human purposes (both conscious and unconscious) as the "seed of personality". As a sociologist he writes with admiration about Jung's ability to put away the scholar's preferences and wander the world with all its heartaches in order to understand the mentally ill. Progoff's book is an academic book, but a very accessible one. I found it to be a great help in understanding Jung.

[Brendan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not helpful. Just read Jung.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in its time and place in the history of social science, a good and interesting overview.