C. G. Jung and the psychology of adult development

Jung can be regarded as a founder of the psychology of adult development and ageing: against the widely held belief that events of decisive import for the formation of an individual's personality occur only within the first two decades of life, he recognized that momentous psychological changes can take place during the second half of life as well. Current appraisals of Jung's contributions in this field tend however to be reductive and simplistic. Accordingly, an attempt is made here to restore some of the complexity of Jung's thought, and to assess its potential towards the attainment of a comprehensive account of the adult condition in contemporary society. This analysis shows that aspects of his views on the developmental course of adulthood enjoy a measure of empirical support. On the other hand, the consideration of some dramatic changes that today's society is increasingly imposing upon the structure of adult life suggests that a revision of some Jungian assumptions about the latter may be in order.