Week 1 Lesson

Exercise 1

• Definitions of aging
• Our culture’s attitude toward aging and the elderly
• Some key archetypes
• Jung’s concept of types and how types relate to aging
• Jung’s prescription for living in old age

Exercise 1 Questions

• What does “aging” or “getting old” mean to you?
• What associations or adjectives come to mind when you hear the word “old”?
• Are you aware of yourself getting older? If so, what has made you aware of this?

Homework:

Begin reading Jane on Aging, Old Age & Death (pp. 441-549); read my essay “Enjoying the Afternoon of Life: Jung on Aging,” and Jung’s essay, “The Stages of Life;” complete the type assessment exercise (if you have never filled it out before); reflect on this question after you have identified your type: “How might I develop my inferior function?”

On Jung’s essay “The Stages of Life:”

• There are 7 stages of life/consciousness that Jung identifies; what are they? 
• According to Jung what creates consciousness? 
• What does Jung mean by “our Promethean conquest”?
• How does Jung feel most of us face the problems of life?
• How does Jung define the sciences?
• What does Jung identify as the source of most individual problems in the years 20-35?
• What is the cause of most later-life neuroses?
• What does Jung see happening to the genders in later life?
• What does Jung want to see older people do that would be inappropriate for younger people? 
• What is Jung’s opinion about American culture and the elderly?
• Why do most modern people find it hard to believe in life after death?
• Why does Jung urge us to live with a goal or aim?
• How does Jung think we should regard death?
• When Jung speaks of “primordial images” to what is he referring?
• How does he suggest we go about living the “fullest life”? 
• How are infancy and extreme old age similar?
• What do you think Jung means by the statement that “The serious problems in life, however, are never fully solved.”