Thanks for the response.
I agree with your first point, that the word 'knowledge' makes all the difference, and in general with what you then say. I'm not sure whether you are saying that it's specifically a human problem. My interpretation is that the problem starts when the soul 'falls' into matter. In either interpretation, the end result is the same. Good and evil may not be out there in the world, but they must have existed as potentialities/tendencies before the Fall.
On Jung and the shadow, this a complex subject about which much has been written. The website you quote is interesting and typical, but it remains an interpretation; it's OK as far as it goes, and probably doesn't say anything wrong, but does it go far enough? So I prefer to go to the man himself, which is why I asked you for something specific from Jung. The two brief quotes I included in the article suggest to me that he definitely believed in the reality of evil, even if you argue that this is a dualistic illusion, and that he was therefore mistaken.
Rather than generalisations, actual case histories would be more interesting. (Jung himself, as far as I'm aware, doesn't provide any material about evil from his personal life.) According to your understanding, how, for example, does one integrate the aggressive impulses, immoral urges, and unacceptable sexual desires mentioned in the article? Do you go round beating people up and raping women? Do you just let these thoughts float round in your mind? Or do you attempt to sublimate these tendencies by taking up boxing, acting out fantasies with prostitutes, for example?
The other articles you mention seem to go deeper. You don't recommend trying to integrate a pure evil archetype, but suppose that were necessary? Is that not the message of Goethe's Faust, which was a lifelong source of inspiration for Jung? (He actually identified with the figure.) The beginning of Faust's spiritual search (individuation process) was a pact with the devil (Mephistopheles), which obviously has to be interpreted allegorically – Mephistopheles represented Faust's shadow. In the end he found redemption.
On that theme, are you familiar with Paul Levy's Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil? (He is both Jungian and Buddhist.) In the introduction he tells of his confrontation/relationship with Dracula, who represented his shadow. He tells of a dream where “I am hanging out with Dracula in his apartment. His true identity as an evil vampire with malevolent intentions is 'cloaked' by his charisma and charm”. Is that not an exact description of shadow and persona? He had to win the battle against this evil figure.
I would be interested to know if reading this book, especially the introduction, would change your mind about anything. I highly recommend it.
