Heuristic Possibilities of the Archetype Theory in the Political Science

The article attempts to analyze the possibilities and limitations of the Jungian theory of archetypes for application in political science. The author gives her own definitions for the concepts of “archetype” and “archetypical space”, following the Jungian theory. It is proved that there is a number of aspects in the classical theory of K. G. Jung, which are missed by the modern way of using the term, but can be useful in political science. The article describes the main components of the Jungian theory of archetypes, the specific psychodynamics that accompanies manifestations of the archetypal in psychological space of an individual or a group. The author gives a brief description of the main archetypes identified by Jung, which became the basic concepts of so-called “collective soul map” – theoretic model that could be used to explore the mythology of various communities. According to Jung, the map of the soul is a good tool for primary orientation “on the mythological territory” or in the space of the collective unconscious. In any archetypal collective territory, one can always find the areas of the Shadow (the archetypal other, in a negative version – the enemy) and the Self (the ideal world or the desired future), the areas of the Ego (the way in which we understand ourselves) and the Person (the way we understand our role in the world). According to the author, understanding the essence of the deep complexes theory and role of the symbols in the process of overcoming archetypal conflicts contributes to the advancement of political science to comprehend the archetypal basis of mass behavior and the effective practice of peacemaking. Further, the author compares the content of the original (Jungian) theory of archetypes and the tradition of using this concept established in political science. There are three approaches to the definition and application of the term “archetype” in Russian social sciences – formal, dualistic and dynamic. Although each of the approaches is relevant for the tasks set by the researchers, the author comes to the conclusion that, in general, the definition of an archetype and approaches to its phenomenology are often formalized and simplified compared to the original concept of an archetype in Jungian theory. Thus, the involvement of the classical, uncut theory of archetypes as a methodological basis for the political studies in certain cases (for example, political mythology, culture, psychology, etc.) can significantly expand the possibilities of political theory in the analysis, modeling and forecasting.

Keywords: archetype; archetype theory; Jungian theory; political theory; mythology; political mythology; mass psychology; political psychology