The Significance of Paul Ricoeur’s Narrative Theory and Hermeneutics for Understanding Carl Jung’s Red Book

Abstract

Hermeneutics is a significant dimension of C.G. Jung’s analytical psychology, although Jung did not develop a consistent hermeneutic method, and this aspect of his work has not yet been sufficiently explored. This paper examines the relevance of Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics and narrative theory for the interpretation of Carl Jung’s Red Book, which can be perceived as a narrative experiment. Ricoeur focuses on the narrative character of human experience. Paul Ricoeur’s ideas of narrative and plot are significant for exploring Jung’s inner experience described in his Red Book as well as the narrative structure of The Red Book.