Publication
Imprint: Lone Pine, California : Phoenix Philosophical Press, 1980. Context: Recorded June 18, July 7, July 16, and July 24, 1980 for the August 1980 Convention. Responsibility: Franklin Merrell-Wolff. Physical: 4 sound disc : CD, digital ; 4 3/4 in.
Call number
CD / Front Desk
Original publication date
1980
Collections
CSS Library Notes
Description: Is the Intellect the Devil?: Part 1
Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins a critique of Carl Jung’s identification of the intellect with the devil in The Integration of the Personality. He offers a quotation from this volume in which Jung describes the intellect as the “son of chaos.” Wolff considers Jung’s statement to be demonstrably false if meant as a reference to the devil as a principle of darkness and evil; but, he suggests that an analysis of the term ‘Lucifer’, the bringer of light, may help to clarify the meaning. He relates the myth of the fall Lucifer, the brightest star of the morning, who because of inflation, fell and became the satanic principle. He acknowledges that from the point of view of the animal nature in man, Lucifer might be regarded as devilish, but he denies that that is the proper basis of evaluation if one is to accept the discipline imposed by the intellect that leads to the transcendental Realization. Wolff discusses two principles of orientation to this world, and that which lies beyond; namely, the principle of life and the principle of thought. He suggests that the male adolescent is either drawn to an orientation to the principle of life, symbolized in the Grail myth by the knight and the maiden, or to an orientation to the principle of thought, symbolized by the hermit. He submits that the thought of Immanuel Kant and Sri Shankaracharya are certainly more than the work of the devil and points out that while the knowledge attained by following Shankara’s yoga of knowledge is not intellectual knowledge, the primary means employed for the attainment is intellectual. He acknowledges that while other forms of yoga may be effective, there is a question as to whether they result in the same state of consciousness as the yoga of knowledge, and he concludes by affirming that by practicing the yoga of knowledge supreme values may be realized through the employment of intellectual capacities. He therefore challenges Jung’s characterization of the intellect as the devil and considers this position as essentially false.
Online availability: In addition to the CD in our library, the complete 433 recordings of Franklin can be streamed/downloaded (many with transcripts) directly curtesy of the Franklin Merrell-Wolff Fellowship website at the links below.:
Complete Catalogue: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/archive/audio_recordings/intro
This four volume set can be found here:
Part 1: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M321.mp3
Part 2: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M322.mp3
Part 3: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M323.mp3
Part 4: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M324.mp3
FY2013 /
Franklin Merrell-Wolff begins a critique of Carl Jung’s identification of the intellect with the devil in The Integration of the Personality. He offers a quotation from this volume in which Jung describes the intellect as the “son of chaos.” Wolff considers Jung’s statement to be demonstrably false if meant as a reference to the devil as a principle of darkness and evil; but, he suggests that an analysis of the term ‘Lucifer’, the bringer of light, may help to clarify the meaning. He relates the myth of the fall Lucifer, the brightest star of the morning, who because of inflation, fell and became the satanic principle. He acknowledges that from the point of view of the animal nature in man, Lucifer might be regarded as devilish, but he denies that that is the proper basis of evaluation if one is to accept the discipline imposed by the intellect that leads to the transcendental Realization. Wolff discusses two principles of orientation to this world, and that which lies beyond; namely, the principle of life and the principle of thought. He suggests that the male adolescent is either drawn to an orientation to the principle of life, symbolized in the Grail myth by the knight and the maiden, or to an orientation to the principle of thought, symbolized by the hermit. He submits that the thought of Immanuel Kant and Sri Shankaracharya are certainly more than the work of the devil and points out that while the knowledge attained by following Shankara’s yoga of knowledge is not intellectual knowledge, the primary means employed for the attainment is intellectual. He acknowledges that while other forms of yoga may be effective, there is a question as to whether they result in the same state of consciousness as the yoga of knowledge, and he concludes by affirming that by practicing the yoga of knowledge supreme values may be realized through the employment of intellectual capacities. He therefore challenges Jung’s characterization of the intellect as the devil and considers this position as essentially false.
Online availability: In addition to the CD in our library, the complete 433 recordings of Franklin can be streamed/downloaded (many with transcripts) directly curtesy of the Franklin Merrell-Wolff Fellowship website at the links below.:
Complete Catalogue: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/archive/audio_recordings/intro
This four volume set can be found here:
Part 1: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M321.mp3
Part 2: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M322.mp3
Part 3: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M323.mp3
Part 4: https://www.merrell-wolff.org/audio/audio-recordings/M324.mp3
FY2013 /
Physical description
4.75 inches
Language
Original language
English