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This book explores the history of the idea of the midlife crisis, using the writings of C.G. Jung and Goethe to investigate its relevance for today. Tracing how the ages of humankind became the stages of life in which the midlife crisis represents a pivotal moment, Paul Bishop offers a detailed analysis of a paper by Jung on this subject. He then shifts the focus to Goethe’s interest in Orphic wisdom, and one of Goethe’s major later poems, Primal Words. Orphic (Urworte Orphisch). Using Jungian ideas to explore the psychological implications of this poem, Bishop draws on Goethe’s own commentary, and other background material, to uncover its vital message.
Reading Goethe at Midlife reveals the remarkable symmetry between the ideas and Jung and Goethe. Jung’s analysis of the stages of life, and his advice to heed the call of the self, are brought into the conjunction with Goethe’s emphasis on the importance of hope, showing an underlying continuity of thought and relevance from ancient wisdom, via German classicism to analytical psychology.
Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations
Acknowledgments
Preface to the second edition
PART ONE
Chapter 1: The Stages of Life and the Midlife Crisis: A Brief
History of an Idea
Two Visual Starting Points - From the Ages of Humankind…
…to the Stages of Life – The Stages of Life: An Idea Comes
of Age - The Midlife Crisis - Walter B. Pitkin and Edmund
Bergler - Erik H. Erikson and Elliott Jaques - Gail Sheehy and
Daniel J. Levinson - Other Approaches, Including the Return of
the Noonday Demon - Jungian Approaches to Midlife -
Literature of the Nineties - Recent French Approaches: Eric
Deschavanne and Pierre-Henri Tavoillot, Marie de Hennezel
and Bertrand Vergely
Chapter 2: The Turning Point in Life: What Conflict the Sun
Must Experience at Midday!
PART TWO
Chapter 3: Goethe’s Orphism
The Cult of Orpheus - Orpheus in the Age of Romanticism -
Goethe’s Relation to the Orphic Mysteries - Creuzer and
Hermann, Zoega and Welcker - Faust as Orpheus - Orphism, and Primal Words
Chapter 4: Primal Words. Orphic
Daimon - Chance - Eros - The Necessity of Love; or, Erotic
Necessity - The Necessity of Necessity; or, Necessary Necessity -
Hope - Conclusion
Index
