UNIT 09
THE Time factor
24-08-2024
In Unit 09 we demonstrate the psychological fact that the faculty of intuition makes possible the determination of time relationships. We thus focus on Hitchens’ intuitive perception of the time relationship in events.
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION
We mentioned in various footprints that the intellectual rational mind, for instance that of Dawkins, Dennett and Harris, is concerned with the law bound aspects of events which possess general validity. (CW 6, par. 692) The intellectual function “does not consider the actual object as a whole, but only that part of it which has been singled out for rational observation.” (ibid par. 775) It only takes into account what is merely posited. (ibid par. 775) This rational function orients towards the peculiarities and principles inherent in positable objects. For example, Jung wanted to know how intuition works as a function, how it operates. He wanted to understand and establish the peculiarities of intuition in rational terms. In short, the result of the intellectual process in question is Jung’s explanation of the peculiarities of intuition and its principles, presented in the form of well-defined concepts. Jung’s concept of intuition anchors the peculiarities of intuition and its principles in space and time, thereby establishing its general validity.
The intellectual rational function naturally excludes the flux of accidentals in events and everything beyond what is posited. In reality objects are not isolated in space and time. Jung writes: “But, in space, every object is in endless connection with a multiplicity of other objects; and, in time, the object represents merely a transition from a former state to a succeeding one.” He augments by saying that the faculty of intuition “makes possible, at least approximately, the determination of space-time relationships.” (CW 8, par. 257)
In this unit we focus exclusively on the time factor. Intuition is “perception of the possibilities inherent in a situation.” (CW 8, par. 292) The idea of possibilities naturally involves time as a factor. Jung expresses intuition’s relation to time as follows: “But there is another category, and that is time. Things have a past and they have a future. They come from somewhere, they go to somewhere, and you cannot see where they came from and you cannot know where they go to, but you get what the Americans call a hunch [an intuition].” (CW 18, par 24, brackets added) Jung says that intuition “points to the possibilities, the whence and whither which lie within the immediate facts.” (E. A. Bennet, C.G. Jung, p. 77)
The following self-representations demonstrate Hitchens’ intuitive perception of the object-time relationship in events. He observes the object’s transition over time from a former state to a succeeding one. He thus perceives the possibilities inherent in the situation.
DEMONSTRATION OF THE TIME FACTOR IN INTUITION
Please study the selection of relevant self-representations
We encourage you to first study the relevant section as a whole to form an overall picture before proceeding to investigate a specific extract. Explore the time factor in events and pinpoint the transitional formations in the relevant self-representations.
DEMONSTRATIONS
01
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: p. 92 [From the second par. on p. 92: “Faith, as often as it’s cut down…” to the end of the third par. on p. 92: “…You mean faith in supernatural paradigms?”]
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:09:54 to 00:10:13 timer
Hitchens:
“Faith, as often as it’s cut down or superseded or discredited, replicates, it seems to me, extraordinarily fast.”
Book: p. 92
Hour 2 of 2
Analytic commentary
The focus of discussion in this extract is faith. Harris clarifies faith as the “belief in supernatural paradigms.” Hitchens’ intuitive perception of the time factor in events captures the religious transition from a former state to a succeeding one ― “Faith, as often as it’s cut down or superseded or discredited … replicates … extraordinarily fast.” He perceives the said transition through the object-time relationship and its connections.
02
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: pp. 95-6 [From the second last par. on p. 95: “Let me make an analogy here…” to the end of the second last par. on p. 96: “…to be buried in Arlington Cemetery.”]
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:13:30 to 00:14:29 timer
Hitchens:
“Not at all. Not at all. Witchcraft is completely ineradicable and spreads like weeds…”
Book: page 96
Hour 2 of 2
Analytic commentary
The discussion between the four men relates to the topic of witchcraft. We can immediately recognise the time factor at play in Hitchens’ intuition when he says: “Witchcraft is completely ineradicable and spreads like weeds.” This is something his three rational friends cannot foresee. Hitchens’ intuition is able to go beyond the bounds of reason within which his three friends operate. He, however, can readily take intuitive possibilities into his stride. Hitchens motivates his intuition that “witchcraft is ineradicable and spreads like weeds” by connecting it to an accidental fact about the Wiccans: “There’s currently a campaign to get Wiccans registered to be buried in Arlington Cemetery.” The Wiccans are a modern-day form of witchcraft within Western esotericism.
03
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: pp. 97 [From the fifth par. on p. 95: “Actually I was about to do…” to the end of the fourth last par. on p. 97: “Let’s take them out of it. Astrology is not going to be eradicated.”]
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:15:20 to 00:15:33 timer
Hitchens:
“Let’s take them [Astrology] out of it. Astrology is not going to be eradicated.”
Book: p. 97
Hour 2 of 2
Analytic commentary
This is another example of how intuition brings the time factor in events into play. Astrology is the object under discussion. Hitchens presents his intuition as follows: “Astrology is not going to be eradicated.” Hitchens motivates his intuition that astrology is not going to be eradicated by connecting astrology to an accidental fact. He points out that “the Washington Post publishes horoscopes every day.” Hitchens motivates his irrational intuition by connecting the object of astrology to relevant accidental facts. His motivation is irrational because it involves accidental facts. He intuits a possibility inherent in the events, activated by the time factor – thus in keeping with Jung’s discovery that intuition is “perception of the possibilities inherent in a situation.” Remember that for the intuitive “a content presents itself whole and complete, without our being able to explain or discover how this content came into existence.” (CW. 6, par. 770) Hitchens has not derived his intuition from the relevant accidental facts or from the time factor involved. Intuition is not a rational process.
04
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: p. 129 [From the first par. on p. 129: “That leads us to…” to the end of the last par. on p. 129: “…But not without a struggle.”]
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:56:25 to 00:57:50 timer
Hitchens:
“But in global terms I think we’re absolutely in a tiny, dwindling minority that’s going to be defeated by the forces of theocracy.”
Book: p. 129
Hour 2 of 2
Analytic commentary
This example again illustrates how Hitchens’ intuition picks up on subtle accidental facts and gives an indication of the direction of movement in time. Hitchens points to possibilities: “I think … we’re … going to be defeated by the forces of theocracy” and, “… they’re going to end up destroying civilisation.” This illustrates Jung’s view that, for intuition, “… in time, the object represents merely a transition from a former state to a succeeding one.” Note that intuition is not limited to positive possibilities ― it also intuits negative consequences.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY
In this unit we have focused exclusively on the time factor. We have illustrated how Hitchens’ irrational intuitive function contrasts with the intellectual rational function which excludes the flux of accidentals in events and everything beyond what is posited. Hitchens’ intuitive approach to problems demonstrates Jung’s view that intuition is “perception of the possibilities inherent in a situation”, and that the faculty of intuition “makes possible, at least approximately, the determination of … time relationships.” We have demonstrated that Hitchens’ intuition “points to the possibilities, the whence and whither which lie within the immediate facts.” Hitchens’ mental material demonstrates Jung’s view that for intuition, “…there is another category, and that is time. Things have a past and they have a future. They come from somewhere, they go to somewhere, and you cannot see where they came from and you cannot know where they go to, but you get what the Americans call a hunch [an intuition].”