This lecture will discuss the sources of evil from the point of view of both individual and social factors. We will compare traditional religious views of evil with psychological approaches. In particular, we will look at the developmental factors that predispose someone to evil behavior from the point of view of Jungian theory and psychoanalytic theory. We will discuss Jung’s notion of the dark side of the Self, or archetypal evil, and its relationship to the personal shadow.
Learning objectives:
- Differentiate Jung’s approach to the problem of evil from theological approaches.
- Explain how early childhood abuse and trauma predisposes one to evil behavior later in life.
- Explain how psychoanalytic theory accounts for evil behavior.