The Persona and the Shadow in Analytic Psychology and Existentialist Philosophy

Philobiblon - Transilvanian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in Humanities 21 (1):84-94 (2016)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The Jungian conflict between the persona ("the mask of the soul") and the shadow (a sort of "counter-persona") is, from a philosophical perspective, akin to the dialectic between appearance and essence or, in a more existential fashion, similar to the difference between falseness and authenticity. Starting from a suggestion made by V. Dem. Zamfirescu, one can compare Jung's persona with Sartre's bad faith and Heidegger's das Man. If the persona were a mask mediating between the Ego and the external world, the shadow would be an interface between the Self and the Ego. Remembering that Nietzsche (not only Freud and Schopenhauer) deeply influenced Jung in the constitution of the shadow, one can evaluate it in comparison with one of the key terms of Nietzschean nihilism, the last human being.

Author's Profile

Stefan Bolea
Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj

Analytics

Added to PP
n/a

Downloads
390 (#58,621)

6 months
199 (#13,284)

Historical graph of downloads since first upload
This graph includes both downloads from PhilArchive and clicks on external links on PhilPapers.
How can I increase my downloads?