[The evolution of the concept of archetypes in Jungian psychology]

Abstract

The concept of archetype is basic in the Junguian conception of the human mind. Without archetypes the Junguian theory of the collective unconscions is absurd. Jung himself recognized that the concept of archetype had originated the worst misunderstandings of his theories. Within Junguian schools there is an archetypal school which has originated archetypal conceptions quite apart from the initial junguian ideas. In this paper the evolution of the concept of archetype is studied, and its implications for the practice of Junguian psychotherapy are considered.