Man and His Symbols

Man and His Symbols is the last work undertaken by Carl Gustav Jung before his death in 1961. First published in 1964, it was conceived as a popular introduction to Jung's complex theories, written for a general readership rather than for psychology students. Its origins lie in 1959, when the journalist John Freeman interviewed Jung at his home in Küsnacht for the BBC programme Face to Face. The broadcast caught the attention of the publisher Wolfgang Foges, who felt that Jung was little known to the public, especially compared with Freud. Jung first declined, but he eventually agreed, prompted by the unusually large volume of mail he received after the programme and by a dream in which he addressed an attentive crowd. He made two conditions: that some of his collaborators take part, and that Freeman coordinate the project.

The book is richly illustrated and divided into five parts. The first, Approaching the Unconscious, is by Jung himself, written in English shortly before the illness that led to his death. The remaining parts were written by his associates: Primitive Myths and Modern Man by Joseph L. Henderson; The Process of Individuation by Marie-Louise von Franz; Symbolism in the Plastic Arts by Aniela Jaffé; and Symbols in an Individual Analysis by Jolande Jacobi. After Jung's death, von Franz took over the final coordination and wrote the conclusion, Science and the Unconscious.