Alchemy is central to Jung's hypothesis of the collective unconscious. In this volume he begins with an outline of the process and aims of psychotherapy, and then moves on to work out the analogies between alchemy, Christian dogma and symbolism and his own understanding of the analytic process. Introducing the basic concepts of alchemy, Jung reminds us of the dual nature of alchemy, comprising both the chemical process and a parallel mystical component. He also discusses the seemingly deliberate mystification of (...) the alchemists. Finally, in using the alchemical process as providing insights into individuation, Jung emphasises the importance of alchemy in relating to us the transcendent nature of the psyche. (shrink)

Today, however, classical Lutheran education is enjoying a renaissance. This book is being reprinted in hopes of renewing such an interest among those who educate in school or at home.

The philosophy of Malebranche is a speculative system of great intellectual interest. A comprehensive examination of it, however concise, is therefore a major undertaking. In this paper I shall limit myself to three points. I shall examine, partly from within and partly from without, Malebranche's account of perception as it relates to the realism-nominalism problem; I shall inquire what, if anything, he has to say about the related problem of individuation; and I shall analyze some aspects of the vision in (...) God. These three topics will be taken up, in this order, in Sections Three, Four, and Five. The first two sections provide background. Section One deals, most concisely yet in an analytical fashion, with the realism issue. Section Two digests, in the same manner, what I shall need of Malebranche's system. Section Six contains some concluding remarks. (shrink)

The notion of `memes' as replicators similar to genes, but concerned with cultural units, was put forward by Dawkins (1976). Blackmore (1999) used this notion to elaborate an ambitious theory designed to account for numerous aspects of human evolution and psychology. Her theory is based on the human capacity for imitation, and although the operation of the `memes' is said to be purely mechanical, the figurative language used implies that their `actions' are purposive. This article will show that imitation had (...) been regarded as important for human advance well before Darwinism. Moreover, at the end of the 19th century descriptions of the functioning of imitation in society had been put forward that closely parallel those given by Blackmore. Hence it is argued that what is convincing about her thesis is not new, and what is new is speculative and highly questionable. (shrink)