This thesis focuses on the dialogue between the physicist Wolfgang Pauli (1900 - 1958) and the depth psychologist C.G. Jung (1875 - 1961). The central question of the thesis asks: Why was Pauli interested in Jung's psychology, and how was this interest expressed?

Redaktörer: Gunnar Eriksson och Tore Frängsmyr

Doktorsavhandling för filosofie doktorsexamen vid Uppsala universitet 1996.

ABSTRACT

Gieser, S., 1995. Den innersta kärnan. Djuppsykologi och kvantfysik: Wolfgang Paulis dialog med C.G. Jung (The Innermost Kernel. Depthpsychology and Quantum Physics: Wolfgang Pauli's Dialogue with C.G. Jung). Institutionen för idé- och lärdomshistoria, Uppsala Universitet, Skrifter, No. 15, 450 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91 - 506 - 1140 - 2

This thesis focuses on the dialogue between the physicist Wolfgang Pauli (1900 - 1958) and the depth psychologist C.G. Jung (1875 - 1961). The central question of the thesis asks: Why was Pauli interested in Jung's psychology, and how was this interest expressed? I take as my point of departure Pauli's extensive scientific correspondence, with special emphasis on those parts of the correspondence in which he airs and refines his particular interests in epistemological, psychological and philosophical issues. The correspondence with Jung himself is of course one central focus, but attention is also paid to his communications with individuals familiar with and involved in Jung's psychology, especially the physicist Markus Fierz, Jung's assistant and co-worker Marie-Louise von Franz, and Jung's secretary Aniela Jaffé. All in all more than 400 letters furnish the foundation of the thesis.

The work is divided into three main sections. The first presents the general historical, intellectual and philosophical background of the dialogue between Pauli and Jung. The first section of the thesis thus sets the stage, re-viewing the general cultural and intellectual climate of Europe between the turn of the century and the period between the world wars. The intent of this section is to place the epistemological crisis which inundated physics during the emergence of quantum mechanics, as well as the dramatis personae of this process, into the context of the history of ideas. The second section takes a closer look at the connection between physics and depth psychology, by focusing on two representatives of the Copenhagen school and presenting their views on this matter: Pascual Jordan and Niels Bohr. A comparison of Bohr's and Jung's epistemological standpoints is also undertaken. The third section discusses the specific philosophical bases of Pauli's interest in the psychology of C.G. Jung and explores some of the main issues discussed in their correspondence as for instance the relation of conscious and unconscious, the theory of archetypes, the process underlying concept-formation, the psychology of scientific discovery and the theory of synchronicity.

Key words: history of science, history of ideas, scientific correspondence, history of quantum physics, Copenhagen School of physics, epistemology, depth-psychology, Jungian psychology, theory of archetypes, psychology of scientific discovery, positivism, mysticism, fin de siècle.

Suzanne Gieser, Department of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University, Slottet, ing. AO, S-752 37 Uppsala, Sweden

© Suzanne Gieser 1995

ISSN 0280 - 7238
ISBN 91 - 506 - 1140 - 2

Will be translated into English soon!

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