Michael Rice. 1997. Egypt's Legacy: The archetypes of Western civilization 3000-30 B.C. Routledge, London. 207 pages, plus 26 pages of notes, references, and an index.
One of the great mysteries of the Egyptian civilization is why it flowered so abruptly around 3000 B.C. In his 1997 book, Egypt's Legacy, Michael Rice takes the rather intriguing stance of using Jungian--as in Carl Jung--analysis to explain the possible mechanisms of the rise of civilization. In his first chapter, Rice describes the rise of Egyptian civilization as the rival and neighbor of Sumeria (in what is now southern Iraq) and Elam (on the Iranian plateau). Rice suggests that all three arose out of the Neolithic cultures that built Çatal Hoyük--recognizing the 3,000 year gap between Çatal and the other three. The Egyptian civilization, says Rice, was the result of knowledge and ideas accumulated throughout the Neolithic, and put into realization by a handful of geniuses such as the architect Imhotep and the politician Aha.
In his second chapter, entitled "The Ancient Egyptian Psyche," Rice remarkably defines the collective unconscious that arose during the earliest dynasties of Egypt, using Jungian ideas of individuation and collectivity. He touches on the "alpha male" concept, pointing out that governments of the few over the many are evolutionary hard-wired, and then quotes Jung, "the old wise man is a big ape really."
The major portion of the book is a history of Egypt, beginning with the early predynastic period and ending with the arrival of the Greeks. The focus of this discussion is primarily on the arts and artisans of the culture, although the political leadership is used as the framework. In this book, Rice is most interested in the rise of the civilization, and hence the most detailed look is at the predynastic period. The final chapter, "The Myth of Egypt," returns to Jungian analysis to discuss the effects of the existence and flavor of the Egyptian civilization on the rest of the world--including Plutarch and Diodorus, the Crusaders, and Napoleon.
The major portion of the book is a history of Egypt, beginning with the early predynastic period and ending with the arrival of the Greeks. The focus of this discussion is primarily on the arts and artisans of the culture, although the political leadership is used as the framework. In this book, Rice is most interested in the rise of the civilization, and hence the most detailed look is at the predynastic period. The final chapter, "The Myth of Egypt," returns to Jungian analysis to discuss the effects of the existence and flavor of the Egyptian civilization on the rest of the world--including Plutarch and Diodorus, the Crusaders, and Napoleon.
Egypt's Legacy is an interesting book. It's use of Jungian notions of "collective unconscious" and "individuation" are at first grating to the sensibilities, but I think ultimately provide a reasonable way to think of what processes go into the rise of civilization.
