I am a Jungian psychoanalyst, academic philosopher, and Hermetic practitioner. My research interests range over specific areas of philosophy, such as ethics, environmental, medieval, continental, philosophy of history and others, and also areas associated with psychoanalytic, Jungian, and other depth-oriented approaches to therapeutic practice, analysis and theory. I also study issues in social science, social policy, and history as well as religious, spiritual and occult practices of many kinds.
Discusses some of the challenges for psychotherapists due to the fact that we and our patients li... more Discusses some of the challenges for psychotherapists due to the fact that we and our patients live in a society dominated by consumer capitalism.
Jung and Philosophy, Jon Mills, ed., New York: Routledge, pp. 186-203, 2019
Jung was often accused by his readers of reducing religious experience to a purely psychological ... more Jung was often accused by his readers of reducing religious experience to a purely psychological phenomenon. Though Jung denied this accusation, sometimes vehemently, his responses to those objections tend to be inadequate from a philosophical point of view, suggesting that Jung did not understand the potential force of those objections. Jung especially seems unable to entertain that there might be an inherent intentionality to religious experience, such that the latter cannot be analyzed as a phenomenon purely immanent to the psyche but must also be understood in terms of the transcendence that it claims.
In this chapter, I attempt to clarify Jung’s understanding of religious experience in terms of immanence and transcendence. I then turn to Jung’s main philosophical source for his analysis, Rudolf Otto, and show how Otto’s similar tendencies may have influenced or at least confirmed Jung’s view. I then contrast both Jung’s and Otto’s view to an older philosophical tradition, that of natural theology, highlighting how modern philosophical approaches to religion, Otto’s included, seem to misunderstand ancient and medieval metaphysical thinking about God and its experiential basis, consequently misunderstanding their own contrasting projects. Finally, I suggest that many of Jung’s views are, if anything, closer to that older tradition of natural theology than he thinks.
Ethics and Phenomenology. Eds. Mark Sanders and J Jeremy Wisniewski, 2012
The analysis and argument of this paper questions the binary "anthropocentric" vs. "ecocentric" c... more The analysis and argument of this paper questions the binary "anthropocentric" vs. "ecocentric" conceptions of environmental ethics, in particular by examining two of its underlying assumptions: (1) an intentionalist or subject-object paradigm; (2) a model of the good of moral life based on scarcity. In contrast, this paper proposes a conception of environmental ethics, such that benefitting the environment and benefitting humanity is possible, based on the ultimate unity of their interests.
Prepublication version of “In the shadow of virtue. Why ethical personalism needs an ethical impe... more Prepublication version of “In the shadow of virtue. Why ethical personalism needs an ethical impersonalism,” in Ethical Personalism, Frankfurt am Main: Ontos Verlag, 2011, 138-153. This paper attempts to correct certain tendencies in personalistic philosophy, tendencies which seem to at least implicitly denigrate the non-personal dimensions of the human being. I discuss some of the motivations for personalistic philosophy, how some unfortunate tendencies can arise in it, and how one might, with the help of Max Scheler's phenomenological personalism, correct some of those tendecies.
In this paper, I propose ways in which Jungian psychotherapy and analysis might contribute to the... more In this paper, I propose ways in which Jungian psychotherapy and analysis might contribute to the discipline and practice of "sports counseling". I begin by outlining the nature of sports counseling, highlighting some of the typical psychological challenges of athletes. I then turn to how a Jungian approach to sports counseling might be developed.
http://psychoanalyticmuse.blogspot.com/2013/12/pre-publication-announcement-shared.html, Feb 2014
Though Jung always insisted that his theories were scientifically and empirically founded, many o... more Though Jung always insisted that his theories were scientifically and empirically founded, many of his theoretical claims are not only about what the psyche does – i.e. clinical observations – but also about what the psyche is, claims which therefore amount to speculative philosophical claims rather than empirical, scientific claims. This characteristic of Jung’s thought invites philosophical reflection on his theories and opens many of his claims to philosophical scrutiny and critique.
In this paper, I outline Jung’s notion of participation mystique and consider it from a philosophical standpoint. My goal is to articulate Jung’s idea of participation mystique in a way which better captures it philosophically than Jung is able to develop. I begin with some discussion of problems associated with translating Jung – especially the problem of translating “Seele” as “mind” – which in turn raises some central issues of a philosophy of human nature or “philosophical anthropology”. I then outline features of Jung’s notion of participation mystique, including elements of his descriptions which might suggest other interpretations of the data than he assumes. Finally, I offer a phenomenology of participation mystique, based on the philosophical anthropology that I have outlined. In the end, I attempt to clarify the notion of participation mystique philosophically, beyond what Jung was able to do, as well as, offer a sounder understanding of human nature and human functioning than is generally available in Jung’s sometimes sketchy writings on these issues.
American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 83, no. 2, 201-218, 2009
The following paper has two primary purposes. First it aims to articulate a theoretical propositi... more The following paper has two primary purposes. First it aims to articulate a theoretical proposition in general terms, namely, that every theory of doctrinal development presupposes a philosophy of history. The underlying significance of this proposition is that theories of doctrinal development are simultaneously narratives of the historical significance of the church’s pilgrimage through history, though that fact typically remains implicit in theories of doctrinal development. The second purpose is to illustrate the general proposition by analyzing a particular case. I have therefore outlined some of the salient features of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s theory of doctrinal development and, using ideas from Eric Voegelin’s philosophy, show how it implies a philosophy of history.
American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, 79/1, special issue on Max Scheler, 57-90, 2005
I Few figures in Western history have so captured the imagination as St. Francis of Assisi. And M... more I Few figures in Western history have so captured the imagination as St. Francis of Assisi. And Max Scheler was perhaps among those most captivated. For Scheler, St. Francis
Environmental Philosophy, vol. 3. no. 2. Fall 2006
In this paper, I investigate what I call “ecological value cognition”, a term designating a cogni... more In this paper, I investigate what I call “ecological value cognition”, a term designating a cognitive process by which one understands: (1) a value or set of values which pertain to the environment, (2) that such values are morally relevant and (3) that these values may invite or even require virtues, attitudes or actions with respect to them and the entities which bear them. I seek, in this paper, to elucidate the nature of ecological value cognition and suggest specific challenges the American capitalist ethos poses for understanding these values and therefore for developing a sound environmental ethics and policy.
To Love All the Truth and in All Things. Essays in Honor of Josef Seifert/Amar la verdad, toda y en todas las cosas. Ensayos en honor de Josef Seifert, Ediciones UC, Santiago de Chile, 113-156 , 2009
The following is a pre-publication version of this paper, lacking the final editing. In this pape... more The following is a pre-publication version of this paper, lacking the final editing. In this paper, I examine Josef Seifert's philosophy of a priori knowledge in his book Back to Things in Themselves and criticize it on a number of grounds. I begin by articulating Seifert's theory, including some of its philosophical motives, and examine Seifert's claims to represent "true" phenomenology. I then offer a number of criticisms of his theory and its motivations, from a several different standpoints (conceptual, historical, hermeneutic). Finally, I develop Bonaventure's illumination theory of knowledge, a theory Seifert considers to be an ally to his own, and show that Bonaventure's theory was designed to criticize theories like Seifert's, rather than buttress them.
This is an unpublished review essay of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed" I wrote some yea... more This is an unpublished review essay of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed" I wrote some years ago.
This is the introduction to a volume of essays by Jungian psychoanalysts which I co-edited, focus... more This is the introduction to a volume of essays by Jungian psychoanalysts which I co-edited, focusing on the challenges of analytic work when there are substantial crises going on in the collective environment.
Discusses some of the challenges for psychotherapists due to the fact that we and our patients li... more Discusses some of the challenges for psychotherapists due to the fact that we and our patients live in a society dominated by consumer capitalism.
Jung and Philosophy, Jon Mills, ed., New York: Routledge, pp. 186-203, 2019
Jung was often accused by his readers of reducing religious experience to a purely psychological ... more Jung was often accused by his readers of reducing religious experience to a purely psychological phenomenon. Though Jung denied this accusation, sometimes vehemently, his responses to those objections tend to be inadequate from a philosophical point of view, suggesting that Jung did not understand the potential force of those objections. Jung especially seems unable to entertain that there might be an inherent intentionality to religious experience, such that the latter cannot be analyzed as a phenomenon purely immanent to the psyche but must also be understood in terms of the transcendence that it claims.
In this chapter, I attempt to clarify Jung’s understanding of religious experience in terms of immanence and transcendence. I then turn to Jung’s main philosophical source for his analysis, Rudolf Otto, and show how Otto’s similar tendencies may have influenced or at least confirmed Jung’s view. I then contrast both Jung’s and Otto’s view to an older philosophical tradition, that of natural theology, highlighting how modern philosophical approaches to religion, Otto’s included, seem to misunderstand ancient and medieval metaphysical thinking about God and its experiential basis, consequently misunderstanding their own contrasting projects. Finally, I suggest that many of Jung’s views are, if anything, closer to that older tradition of natural theology than he thinks.
Ethics and Phenomenology. Eds. Mark Sanders and J Jeremy Wisniewski, 2012
The analysis and argument of this paper questions the binary "anthropocentric" vs. "ecocentric" c... more The analysis and argument of this paper questions the binary "anthropocentric" vs. "ecocentric" conceptions of environmental ethics, in particular by examining two of its underlying assumptions: (1) an intentionalist or subject-object paradigm; (2) a model of the good of moral life based on scarcity. In contrast, this paper proposes a conception of environmental ethics, such that benefitting the environment and benefitting humanity is possible, based on the ultimate unity of their interests.
Prepublication version of “In the shadow of virtue. Why ethical personalism needs an ethical impe... more Prepublication version of “In the shadow of virtue. Why ethical personalism needs an ethical impersonalism,” in Ethical Personalism, Frankfurt am Main: Ontos Verlag, 2011, 138-153. This paper attempts to correct certain tendencies in personalistic philosophy, tendencies which seem to at least implicitly denigrate the non-personal dimensions of the human being. I discuss some of the motivations for personalistic philosophy, how some unfortunate tendencies can arise in it, and how one might, with the help of Max Scheler's phenomenological personalism, correct some of those tendecies.
In this paper, I propose ways in which Jungian psychotherapy and analysis might contribute to the... more In this paper, I propose ways in which Jungian psychotherapy and analysis might contribute to the discipline and practice of "sports counseling". I begin by outlining the nature of sports counseling, highlighting some of the typical psychological challenges of athletes. I then turn to how a Jungian approach to sports counseling might be developed.
http://psychoanalyticmuse.blogspot.com/2013/12/pre-publication-announcement-shared.html, Feb 2014
Though Jung always insisted that his theories were scientifically and empirically founded, many o... more Though Jung always insisted that his theories were scientifically and empirically founded, many of his theoretical claims are not only about what the psyche does – i.e. clinical observations – but also about what the psyche is, claims which therefore amount to speculative philosophical claims rather than empirical, scientific claims. This characteristic of Jung’s thought invites philosophical reflection on his theories and opens many of his claims to philosophical scrutiny and critique.
In this paper, I outline Jung’s notion of participation mystique and consider it from a philosophical standpoint. My goal is to articulate Jung’s idea of participation mystique in a way which better captures it philosophically than Jung is able to develop. I begin with some discussion of problems associated with translating Jung – especially the problem of translating “Seele” as “mind” – which in turn raises some central issues of a philosophy of human nature or “philosophical anthropology”. I then outline features of Jung’s notion of participation mystique, including elements of his descriptions which might suggest other interpretations of the data than he assumes. Finally, I offer a phenomenology of participation mystique, based on the philosophical anthropology that I have outlined. In the end, I attempt to clarify the notion of participation mystique philosophically, beyond what Jung was able to do, as well as, offer a sounder understanding of human nature and human functioning than is generally available in Jung’s sometimes sketchy writings on these issues.
American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 83, no. 2, 201-218, 2009
The following paper has two primary purposes. First it aims to articulate a theoretical propositi... more The following paper has two primary purposes. First it aims to articulate a theoretical proposition in general terms, namely, that every theory of doctrinal development presupposes a philosophy of history. The underlying significance of this proposition is that theories of doctrinal development are simultaneously narratives of the historical significance of the church’s pilgrimage through history, though that fact typically remains implicit in theories of doctrinal development. The second purpose is to illustrate the general proposition by analyzing a particular case. I have therefore outlined some of the salient features of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s theory of doctrinal development and, using ideas from Eric Voegelin’s philosophy, show how it implies a philosophy of history.
American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, 79/1, special issue on Max Scheler, 57-90, 2005
I Few figures in Western history have so captured the imagination as St. Francis of Assisi. And M... more I Few figures in Western history have so captured the imagination as St. Francis of Assisi. And Max Scheler was perhaps among those most captivated. For Scheler, St. Francis
Environmental Philosophy, vol. 3. no. 2. Fall 2006
In this paper, I investigate what I call “ecological value cognition”, a term designating a cogni... more In this paper, I investigate what I call “ecological value cognition”, a term designating a cognitive process by which one understands: (1) a value or set of values which pertain to the environment, (2) that such values are morally relevant and (3) that these values may invite or even require virtues, attitudes or actions with respect to them and the entities which bear them. I seek, in this paper, to elucidate the nature of ecological value cognition and suggest specific challenges the American capitalist ethos poses for understanding these values and therefore for developing a sound environmental ethics and policy.
To Love All the Truth and in All Things. Essays in Honor of Josef Seifert/Amar la verdad, toda y en todas las cosas. Ensayos en honor de Josef Seifert, Ediciones UC, Santiago de Chile, 113-156 , 2009
The following is a pre-publication version of this paper, lacking the final editing. In this pape... more The following is a pre-publication version of this paper, lacking the final editing. In this paper, I examine Josef Seifert's philosophy of a priori knowledge in his book Back to Things in Themselves and criticize it on a number of grounds. I begin by articulating Seifert's theory, including some of its philosophical motives, and examine Seifert's claims to represent "true" phenomenology. I then offer a number of criticisms of his theory and its motivations, from a several different standpoints (conceptual, historical, hermeneutic). Finally, I develop Bonaventure's illumination theory of knowledge, a theory Seifert considers to be an ally to his own, and show that Bonaventure's theory was designed to criticize theories like Seifert's, rather than buttress them.
This is an unpublished review essay of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed" I wrote some yea... more This is an unpublished review essay of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed" I wrote some years ago.
This is the introduction to a volume of essays by Jungian psychoanalysts which I co-edited, focus... more This is the introduction to a volume of essays by Jungian psychoanalysts which I co-edited, focusing on the challenges of analytic work when there are substantial crises going on in the collective environment.
Adaption and Psychotherapy. Langs and Analytical Psychology, 2023
Adaption and Psychotherapy gives a concentrated but complete picture of Robert Langs’ adaptive cl... more Adaption and Psychotherapy gives a concentrated but complete picture of Robert Langs’ adaptive clinical theory, and also expands Langs’ treatment of adaptation by examining Carl Jung’s theory of adaptation. This book articulates Jung’s positive and clinical understanding of adaptation in a way that allows comparison to Langs’ adaptive paradigm as well as a creative synthesis of the two approaches. The result is a development of Langs’ adaptive paradigm and an expansion of clinical theory and technique that is valuable for both Freudian and Jungian analysts.
Presentation given in 2007 at the C G Jung Analytic Training Program in Pittsburgh PA. Each membe... more Presentation given in 2007 at the C G Jung Analytic Training Program in Pittsburgh PA. Each member of the seminar was to choose a character from the film "Pan's Labyrinth" and discuss the psychological significance of it. Not having seen the film, I had no way to choose and so focused on the character no one else had chosen, the Faun.
This presentation is from the early 2000s, a first stab at understanding Scheler's notion of valu... more This presentation is from the early 2000s, a first stab at understanding Scheler's notion of value hierarchy or rank order and how Scheler uses it to understand value variations, including in communities
This presentation was given in October of 2015, on the occasion of the first Karl Stern Lecture, ... more This presentation was given in October of 2015, on the occasion of the first Karl Stern Lecture, an annual lecture series sponsored by the Silverman LIbrary of Duquesne University, Pittsburgh PA. The lecture itself was given by Donald Carveth, PhD and entitled "The Cartesian Chasm: Karl Stern's Understanding of the Roots of our Cultural Pathology." This presentation, in response to Carveth's paper, expanded and in part criticized some points in Stern and Carveth from the standpoints of both philosophy and psychoanalysis. Karl Stern, though hardly a common name in our time, was a Canadian psychoanalyst and a well-known and popular writer in the mid-20th century. Stern was also famous for being a Jewish convert to Catholicism.
This presentation was given at the 2007 International Association of Environmental Philosophy con... more This presentation was given at the 2007 International Association of Environmental Philosophy conference in Chicago. Its goal is largely to summarize some principles of Schelling's philosophy of nature, whereby Schelling links nature to the experience of God.
A talk I gave many years ago to a group of Catholics, on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. I wouldn... more A talk I gave many years ago to a group of Catholics, on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. I wouldn't treat of these issues the same way now, but the section of political Gnosticism seems even more relevant as of 2017 than it did in 2005.
This was a brief presentation I gave to a seminar on James Hillman's book The Soul's Code. It is ... more This was a brief presentation I gave to a seminar on James Hillman's book The Soul's Code. It is unedited but might be of some value for those looking for a brief, concentrated discussion of archetypal psychology or of James Hillman's work.
This is a powerpoint which accompanied a presentation on the clinical use of dreams, from a Jungi... more This is a powerpoint which accompanied a presentation on the clinical use of dreams, from a Jungian perspective. given to about twenty therapists, in March 2012. The clinical material was omitted.
This is a preprint version of a review of Brian Treanor's book entitled Emplotting Virtue, which ... more This is a preprint version of a review of Brian Treanor's book entitled Emplotting Virtue, which is to appear in International Journal of Philosophical Studies.
Journal of Analytical Psychology, 58/4, pp. 554-556, Sep 2013
Jon Mills is a prolific author with a penchant for philosophical clarity -a trait we might expect... more Jon Mills is a prolific author with a penchant for philosophical clarity -a trait we might expect from a practicing psychoanalyst with a PhD in philosophy. In Conundrums, Mills outlines and criticizes recent developments in psychoanalytic theory, developments broadly known as "relational," and submits them to analytical and philosophical critique. Mills" criticisms underline both important developments and potentially problematic theses and practices associated with the relational theories.
Journal of Analytical Psychology, vo. 57, issue 1, 127-8, 2012
Robert Langs is well known in Jungian circles for his early studies of derivative communication, ... more Robert Langs is well known in Jungian circles for his early studies of derivative communication, communication styles and the analytic frame. Less well known is Langs' more recent research rooting psychic conflict in death anxiety and death-related trauma. Freud on a Precipice introduces the reader to Langs' latest work in the form of an interesting and at times gripping narrative. Furthermore, the book is of special interest to Jungians because it creatively uses or parallels certain ideas of Jung and simultaneously invites a new application of Jungian theory to the roots of psychic conflict.
Some writing assignments for an upper level undergraduate or graduate course in philosophy should... more Some writing assignments for an upper level undergraduate or graduate course in philosophy should have as one of their goals the training necessary for professional life in philosophy, on the assumption that at least some philosophy majors and graduate students intend to go into professional philosophy. The major writing assignment for this course, therefore, reflects the central genre of professional philosophical writing and research, the journal article. I describe it below.
These slides were part of a presentation at the 2020 Institute for Hermetic Studies conference.
... more These slides were part of a presentation at the 2020 Institute for Hermetic Studies conference.
I'm in the unusual situation of being both a Jungian psychoanalyst and a Hermetic practitioner. Carl Jung is well known for his psychological interpretation of alchemy and contributed to the understanding of alchemy in very important ways. However, in this presentation, I examine Jung's view of alchemy and criticize it from a Hermetic standpoint. While I respect Jung's achievements in regards to alchemy, a number of his assumptions show that he was not a practitioner. These criticisms arise from someone who is not only a Jungian psychoanalyst but also an esoteric practitioner.
This is a link to a 12-hour course on New Thought and its practical uses, sponsored by the Instit... more This is a link to a 12-hour course on New Thought and its practical uses, sponsored by the Institute for Hermetic Studies. In this course, we focus not only on some of the principles of New Thought practice but also its metaphysical background and implicit ethics.
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Papers by John White
In this chapter, I attempt to clarify Jung’s understanding of
religious experience in terms of immanence and transcendence. I then turn to Jung’s main philosophical source for his analysis, Rudolf
Otto, and show how Otto’s similar tendencies may have influenced or
at least confirmed Jung’s view. I then contrast both Jung’s and Otto’s view to an older philosophical tradition, that of natural theology,
highlighting how modern philosophical approaches to religion,
Otto’s included, seem to misunderstand ancient and medieval metaphysical thinking about God and its experiential basis, consequently
misunderstanding their own contrasting projects. Finally, I suggest
that many of Jung’s views are, if anything, closer to that older tradition
of natural theology than he thinks.
In this paper, I outline Jung’s notion of participation mystique and consider it from a philosophical standpoint. My goal is to articulate Jung’s idea of participation mystique in a way which better captures it philosophically than Jung is able to develop. I begin with some discussion of problems associated with translating Jung – especially the problem of translating “Seele” as “mind” – which in turn raises some central issues of a philosophy of human nature or “philosophical anthropology”. I then outline features of Jung’s notion of participation mystique, including elements of his descriptions which might suggest other interpretations of the data than he assumes. Finally, I offer a phenomenology of participation mystique, based on the philosophical anthropology that I have outlined. In the end, I attempt to clarify the notion of participation mystique philosophically, beyond what Jung was able to do, as well as, offer a sounder understanding of human nature and human functioning than is generally available in Jung’s sometimes sketchy writings on these issues.
Books by John White
https://www.routledge.com/Jungian-Analysis-in-a-World-on-Fire-At-the-Nexus-of-Individual-and-Collective-Trauma/TuleyPhD-WhitePhD/p/book/9781032181295
In this chapter, I attempt to clarify Jung’s understanding of
religious experience in terms of immanence and transcendence. I then turn to Jung’s main philosophical source for his analysis, Rudolf
Otto, and show how Otto’s similar tendencies may have influenced or
at least confirmed Jung’s view. I then contrast both Jung’s and Otto’s view to an older philosophical tradition, that of natural theology,
highlighting how modern philosophical approaches to religion,
Otto’s included, seem to misunderstand ancient and medieval metaphysical thinking about God and its experiential basis, consequently
misunderstanding their own contrasting projects. Finally, I suggest
that many of Jung’s views are, if anything, closer to that older tradition
of natural theology than he thinks.
In this paper, I outline Jung’s notion of participation mystique and consider it from a philosophical standpoint. My goal is to articulate Jung’s idea of participation mystique in a way which better captures it philosophically than Jung is able to develop. I begin with some discussion of problems associated with translating Jung – especially the problem of translating “Seele” as “mind” – which in turn raises some central issues of a philosophy of human nature or “philosophical anthropology”. I then outline features of Jung’s notion of participation mystique, including elements of his descriptions which might suggest other interpretations of the data than he assumes. Finally, I offer a phenomenology of participation mystique, based on the philosophical anthropology that I have outlined. In the end, I attempt to clarify the notion of participation mystique philosophically, beyond what Jung was able to do, as well as, offer a sounder understanding of human nature and human functioning than is generally available in Jung’s sometimes sketchy writings on these issues.
https://www.routledge.com/Jungian-Analysis-in-a-World-on-Fire-At-the-Nexus-of-Individual-and-Collective-Trauma/TuleyPhD-WhitePhD/p/book/9781032181295
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538117934/Adaptation-and-Psychotherapy-Langs-and-Analytical-Psychology
I'm in the unusual situation of being both a Jungian psychoanalyst and a Hermetic practitioner. Carl Jung is well known for his psychological interpretation of alchemy and contributed to the understanding of alchemy in very important ways. However, in this presentation, I examine Jung's view of alchemy and criticize it from a Hermetic standpoint. While I respect Jung's achievements in regards to alchemy, a number of his assumptions show that he was not a practitioner. These criticisms arise from someone who is not only a Jungian psychoanalyst but also an esoteric practitioner.