Psychological Value and Symbol Formation

Abstract

Jung's (1928/1988) radical revision of Freud's libido theory is critically reviewed here with a focus on its cogency, rather than historical context, identifying its convergence with gestalt field theory and the relational concept of mind. Jung was aware of a tension between his `pure' concept of psychic energy and the `applied' concept, already established in clinical practice. Today the latter is familiar, though objectionable on scientific and philosophical grounds, whilst Jung's arguably persuasive thesis is virtually unknown. Jung contended that energy is not a force, the functional context of behaviour is a closed system of psychological values, and therefore libido is not substance or desire. His proposal for applying the concept in psychology, especially regarding symbol formation, is less successful, reiterating the metaphor of libidinal flow. Parallels between Jung's thesis and current debates concerning the ontological status of information and informational processes are pointed out.