Assessing the Quaternity of Cg Jung in the Light of Lacan and Sophiology
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COUNTING TO FOUR: ASSESSING THE QUATERNITY OF C.G. JUNG IN THE LIGHT OF LACAN AND SOPHIOLOGY ______________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board ______________________________________________________________ in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ______________________________________________________________ by Aron Dunlap August, 2008 ABSTRACT Title: Assessing the Quaternity of C.G. Jung in the Light of Lacan and Sophiology Candidate's Name: Aron Dunlap Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Temple University, 2008 Doctoral Advisory Committee Chair: Dr. Lucy Bregman This thesis is a critical examination of the question of the fourfold, or quaternities, in the thought of C.G. Jung, as well as an in-depth comparison with the four-fold structures of Jacques Lacan and Sergius Bulgakov. I define quaternities as visual or structural formations conceived in four parts, and I center this study on Jung because I see him as the first thinker to seriously examine the place of quaternity in psychology and modern thought. Part of the work of this thesis will be to give a clear view of Jung’s quaternal theories, distinguishing the novelty and authenticity of his work from what has been made of it by subsequent New Age and Jungian thinkers. Jacques Lacan, who uses the term “quadrilateral” to describe his formations, will be contrasted with Jung on several counts. First of all, whereas the Jungian quaternity aims to perfectly integrate its various elements, especially when viewed from the perspective of the fourth element of the quaternity, the Lacanian fourth works in the opposite direction, putting into question any reading of the structure which demands resolution and integration. Lacan’s quadrilaterals also avoid the complementarity which is always an important aspect of Jungian quaternity, instead opting for a supplementary logic. Sergius Bulgakov avoids, at least in his later work, referring to quaternities, but, in his reading of Sophia (Wisdom), she clearly functions as something of a fourth within the Christian Trinity. Bulgakov’s ii primary contribution is to provide an answer to Jung’s complaint that the Christian Trinity has suppressed its fourth and become unbalanced. The fourth that Bulgakov articulates in the form of Sophia is very different from what Jung had argued for. That is, instead of changing the Trinity into a Quaternity Bulgakov maintains that Sophia underlines the “tri-unity” of the Trinity, and functions not a fourth amidst its members, but as a necessary element in order to both bring out the distinctiveness of each person of the Trinity as well as communicate their common identity. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people that I would like to thank for helping me along on the journey to completing this dissertation: First of all, Mom and Dad, for giving love and support in every situation; my sister Simone, for being a great conversation partner even when on the other side of the ocean (and also, at moments of great need, making brilliant use of Western Union); Janet Blumberg, for lighting the fire of the mind; Joshua Ramey, for wearing tennis whites to conferences and creating arcane cohorts in the most unlikely places; Leonard Swidler, for seminars (and dinner parties) of great vitality and fun. Lucy Bregman, for extremely skillful directing that allowed me to complete this work in a timely fashion. Shigenori Nagatomo, for a deep education in Eastern thought; Marie Dallam, for never missing the chance to pull an office prank; Rebecca Alpert, for always giving very good advice. Kristen Poole, for providing vital support in the quest to get a job; Paul and Anne du Coudray, for being the best of friends and providing summer vacations for the rest of our lives. Dan McClain, for forcing me to send proposals to conferences and drink Belgian beer once I’m there; and Jebney Lewis, for making music with me along the way. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1. QUATERNITY IN THREE TYPES............................................................................ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Traditional Quaternity: The Medicine Wheel of the Plains Indians.............................. 2 The Hindu Quaternity: Trinity Plus One.................................................................... 11 The Pythagorean Tetractys........................................................................................ 20 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 28 2. THE QUATERNITY OF C.G. JUNG ....................................................................... 30 Individuation and the Marriage Quaternio ................................................................. 30 The Critique of Christianity....................................................................................... 48 The Problem with the Problem of Evil ...................................................................... 54 The Importance of Alchemy...................................................................................... 59 Alchemical Quaternities............................................................................................ 67 Science and the End of All Things ............................................................................ 75 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 78 3. QUATERNITY IN THE SUCCESSORS TO JUNG ................................................. 80 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 80 Marie -Louise von Franz ........................................................................................... 83 Properties of the First Four Natural Numbers ............................................................ 88 Edward Edinger ........................................................................................................ 94 Erich Neumann ....................................................................................................... 102 James Hillman ........................................................................................................ 113 Joseph Campbell ..................................................................................................... 126 v Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 135 4. THE QUADRILATERALS OF LACAN ................................................................ 141 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 141 The L Schema and the Subject of the Unconscious.................................................. 143 The Four Discourses ............................................................................................... 156 Le Sinthome............................................................................................................ 169 Counting in Lacan................................................................................................... 178 Quadrilaterals vs. Quaternities................................................................................. 188 5. THE SOPHIOLOGY OF SERGIUS BULGAKOV ................................................. 193 A Short History of Sophia ....................................................................................... 196 Divine Sophia ......................................................................................................... 201 Creaturely Sophia.................................................................................................... 208 Humanity as the Fourth Hypostasis ......................................................................... 213 Universal Restoration and the Holy Grail ................................................................ 217 Sophia and the Jungian Quaternity .......................................................................... 226 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................... 233 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 251 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Irish Cross.................................................................................................................. ix 2. Big Horn Medicine Wheel........................................................................................... 3 3. The Holy Syllable "Aum" ......................................................................................... 16 4. Trimurti-Sadashiva.................................................................................................... 18 5. Tetractys ..................................................................................................................