UNIT 23
JUNG DISCOVERED INTUITION EMPIRICALLY
15-09-2025
In this unit we explain the difference between discovering the existence of intuition and discovering intuition empirically.
FACTUAL ORIENTATION
Jung stated in Psychological Types that the “credit for having discovered the existence of this type [intuition] belongs to Miss M. Moltzer.” ¹ In The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, Jung writes about: “…the attitude-types I had discovered empirically.” ² The attitude-types refer to all the decision-making functions of consciousness, including thinking and intuition. Jung here states his empirical discovery of intuition, as is true also of the other functions of consciousness, for instance thinking.
We bring to the reader’s attention Jung’s precise formulation in his differentiation between discovering the existence of intuition as a conscious function, on the one hand, and discovering it empirically, on the other hand. Jung is thus merely stating the fact that Miss Maria Moltzer was the first to discover the existence of intuition as a psychological function, however that it was he who discovered intuition empirically.
In a lecture recorded in 1958, Jung relates a conversation that took place between himself and Maria Moltzer. This conversation must have taken place in or around 1916. In the said lectureJung tells us what Moltzer’s contribution was, and his own, regarding the discovery of the psychological function of intuition. This 1958 lecture is available on the website of the Stiftung der Werke von CG Jung, cgjung-werke.org.
We ask the reader to follow the link below and listen to the English segment in the recording relevant to this discussion:
54:48 to 57:07
Transcription of the relevant section of the said lecture
“And so I said …we have three functions. And lo and behold, I had a patient, an intelligent lady … she was … quite clever in certain ways … but highly neurotic … once on a day she said to me, ‘why don’t you speak of intuition?’ “What do you mean by intuition, that is no function …” That was not in my three functions, you see, and what is intuition after all, you see. It’s a hunch, it is nothing … how can you define an intuition … intuition is some proximity of mind … you are simply reminded of something … you foresee a certain thing which you couldn’t possibly foresee … most illegitimate … how can you know something ahead … nobody knows something ahead… it is just guess work… An English professor who wrote a very scientific critique of Rhine’s ESP… he said all those precognitions and … or that ESP function … that’s nothing but guessing. And he wrote he has said a big word … nothing but guessing … and so I said then ... in that case …it is no function… until I picked up … it gave me quite a jolt … what that lady said … and then I began to pay attention … and then I began to study … what intuition is … and how that thing is done … and then I knew aha, she was an intuitive, of course. And I studied her very carefully…”
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTS AND INFORMATION
Jung’s point of view
We remind the reader of the following epistemological principle of Analytical Psychology: “…every theory of psychic processes has to submit to being evaluated in its turn as itself a psychic process, as the expression of a specific type of human psychology with its own justification.” ³ Jung’s dominant decision-making function was thinking. We are therefore compelled to investigate and interpret his work from a thinking point of view. Jung had a thinking and scientific point of view.
Origin of the term “intuition”
The word intuition comes from the Latin verb intueri. The term and its meaning evolved through Late Latin “intuition” and French “intuition”. The term “intuition” entered the English language in the middle of the 15th century. It is clear that neither Maria Moltzer nor Carl Jung discovered or coined the term intuition.
Jung’s use of the term “intuition” prior to 1916
Jung spontaneously and aptly used the term intuition frequently in his works before 1916. Hesays for instance in a lecture to students at The Zofingia Club in May 1897: “Intuition does not have the power to convince the critical mind.” ⁴ He understood that an intuition can never replace the scientific requirement of a factually grounded principle in any objective rational argument. We can say that Jung had already noticed the irrationality of intuition at age twenty-one. Jung therefore had a well-thought-through idea of the general meaning of “intuition” at the time of the mentioned conversation with Maria Moltzer in which she asked him, “Why don’t you speak of intuition?”
Moltzer’s relation to Jung during the time period of their conversation
Maria Moltzer was one of Jung’s assistants and a Jungian analyst who was still studyingunder him. Jung often sent people to his assistants for analysis, but only those who were suited to them.⁵ Jung mentioned in his 1958 lecture that Moltzer was, at the time of their conversation in 1916, highly neurotic and still a patient of his.
Context of Moltzer’s remark
Jung was the first researcher to break completely with the old model of making inferences about the constitution of the psyche from the constitution of the body. He took the mind as the starting point.⁶ His research approach and method are not behaviouristic but purely psychological.
Jung’s conversation with Moltzer took place after he had already discovered three functions of consciousness empirically. We can say that Jung understood and was able to demonstrate the working of these three functions scientifically. Whatever Moltzer may have thought she knew about the psychological problem of decision-making prior to their conversation, she had learned from Jung.
Implication of Moltzer’s remark
Moltzer asked Jung in this conversation, “Why don’t you speak of intuition?” From Moltzer’s point of view the remark was something that simply “fell into her head.” Jung immediately realised that Moltzer just implied the possibility that there could be individuals who approach problems mainly through intuition. Could it be possible that there are not three but four psychological functions of consciousness? Take note that Moltzer could not offer anyargument or research material to substantiate her hunch. Listen closely to Jung’s response after Moltzer implied the possibility of intuition as being a function of consciousness: “...it gave me quite a jolt … what the lady said … and then I began to pay attention … and then I began to study … what is intuition … how that thing is done…”
Maria Moltzer was the first individual who implied the possibility of intuition being apsychological function of consciousness.
Jung did the scientific work
We do not know what Maria Moltzer meant by “intuition” in the said conversation when she asked Jung why he does not speak of intuition. The fact that Jung could relate her remark to his previously discovered decision-making functions did not satisfy his scientific mind-set. Moltzer’s reference to “intuition” did not equate facts, principles and understanding. Merely using the big word “intuition” does not have the power to convince the thinking mind-set. As Jung puts it elsewhere, the investigator “must rid himself of the common notion that the name explains the psychic fact it denotes.”⁷ He distanced himself from the old belief in the magic of words. In Jung’s view, Moltzer’s remark was nothing more than an assumption and the impetus for his investigation that followed. The “real difficulty” begins when it comes to “the actual show-down,” which is to prove something.⁸
Jung writes in The Symbolic Life: “The psyche is an extremely complex factor, so fundamental to all premises that no judgment can be regarded as ‘purely empirical’ but must first indicate the premises by which it judges.”⁹ In Psychological Types he augments on this point by saying: “We must find our own answer to this problem, an answer which satisfies the need of science. And here we meet the chief difficulty of the problem of types—that is, the question of standards or criteria.”¹⁰ The empirical approach requires the presentation of criteria that conform to law and are applicable to and demonstrable in the self-representations of individuals. Jung was the one who discovered how the four functions of consciousness work, including how intuition works, how it “is done.”
Jung alone investigated and penetrated the problem of intuition from a purely psychological perspective. He discovered the typological principles involved. He formulated the said concepts and explained their interrelations. He defined the functions, including intuition. He created criteria to identify them empirically. Jung did the scientific work, not Moltzer.
Moltzer’s point of view
Jung describes his own response to Moltzer’s remark about intuition as follows: “…and then I began to study … intuition … how that thing is done … and then I knew aha, she was an intuitive of course. And I studied her very carefully…” Jung thus classified Maria Moltzer’s decision-making orientation empirically as intuition. It is also clear that Jung must have toldand explained this to her before the first of her two lectures in 1916, wherein she referred to intuition as a function. An analysis of these lectures confirms Moltzer’s intuitive approach to problems and way of decision-making. She had an intuitive point of view.
Jung credited Moltzer for her contribution
Moltzer implied in her conversation with Jung the possibility that intuition could be one of the decision-making function of consciousness. Jung credited her accordingly. He puts it as follows: “The credit for having discovered the existence of this type belongs to Miss M. Moltzer.” ¹¹
Conclusion
Moltzer implied the existence of intuition to Jung as a possible decision-making function of consciousness. However, Jung was the one who investigated the said assumption scientifically and proved it empirically and conclusively. Jung, rightfully so, claims to have discovered all four decision-making functions of consciousness empirically, including intuition.
REFERENCES
1. Jung, C.G. Psychological Types. CW 6, footnote to par. 773 (1971)
2. Jung, C.G. The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. CW 8, par. 224 (1981)
3. Jung, C.G. Psychological Types. CW 6, par. 857 (1971)
4. Jung, C.G. The Zofingia Lectures. CW, Supplementary Vol A, par. 113 (1983)
5. Hannah, B. Jung, His Life and Work. p. 148 (1991)
6. Huysamen, F. et al. The Magna Carta of Carl Jung, A Critical Psychology, p. 4 (2024)
7. Jung, C.G. The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. CW 8, pars. 223-224 (1981)
8. Jung, C.G. Letters, Vol. 1, p. 199 (1973)
9. Jung, C.G. The Symbolic Life. CW 18, par. 1738 (1989)
10. Jung, C.G. Psychological Types. CW 6, par. 934 (1971)
11. Ibid., par. 773; p. 454, footnote 68 (1971)