Carl Jung and Thomas Merton - Apophatic and Kataphatic Traditions in the 20th Century

Abstract

This paper argues that despite the affinities between C.G. Jung and Thomas Merton there are striking differences between them in their uses of the notion of the self. Merton represents the apophatic tradition and Jung the kataphatic tradition. The categories of self-experience, need/desire, proximity and matrix/destination are used to explore their concepts of the self. The role of postmodernism in Merton studies and analytical psychology is discussed.