College can be a stressful time in your life. There is so much going on - from sports to finances... more College can be a stressful time in your life. There is so much going on - from sports to finances to shopping for food and studying - that it can be hard to keep all balls in the air and survive with your sanity in tact. If you want to get decent grades, have a good time, and keep your stress levels under control, learning how to get organised is a must. This book, written by Dutch college lecturer Dr. Ritske Rensma, will teach you all you need to know. Short, simple and written with a healthy dose of humour, it will show you how to declutter, destress, and get organised - all through the power of lists.
Topics covered include: -How to use weekplans to remember the big stuff and make sure you start with your most important projects on time -How to use to-do lists to remember the small stuff and prioritise what is most important to work on -How to deal with distractions and overcome procrastination (with a special focus on handling digital distractions such as social media)
Inspired by time management classics such as Getting Things Done and Eat That Frog, Make Lists Not Fists will teach you a simple, effective time management system that actually works, and which hundreds of students have already learned and put into practice with great results. Now fully updated and revised (2020).
"I am currently using this system and it’s working like a charm. I am managing the work which needs to be done for my Master, I am doing several projects on the side, I have a social life and I am sleeping enough.” Amand van Rossum, Dutch college student
“It actually works. I cannot recall one more stressful moment since I started working with it.” Debby-Esmée de Vlugt, writing in student magazine Tabula Rasa.
The book I wrote on Joseph Campbell's reception of C.G. Jung. Based on my PhD thesis at universit... more The book I wrote on Joseph Campbell's reception of C.G. Jung. Based on my PhD thesis at university of Edinburgh, Religious Studies department, and on archival research done at Joseph Campbell library in Santa Barbara. First chapter available for download.
“Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell’s view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended.”
Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK
The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE... more The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... > < E 3 5 S5 R O o The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... Continuum Advances in Religious Studies ...
In this thesis I will be offering an analysis of CG Jung's influence on the theoretical fram... more In this thesis I will be offering an analysis of CG Jung's influence on the theoretical framework of the American comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell. My first main argument will be that Campbell underwent what I am calling a 'Jungian turn' around 1968: before this date he ...
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2016
Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind's evolutionary h... more Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind's evolutionary history throughout his career, he remained notoriously tight-lipped about his own specific views on evolutionary theory. In the final years of his life, however, he finally went more into detail about this important topic, putting forward a most thought-provoking idea: the notion that synchronicity, or meaning ful coincidences, had a role to play in the way evolution took shape. As I will argue in this paper, Jung's comments on this topic present clear evidence that he did not think primarily along Darwinian lines, as has recently been claimed; rather, I will argue that he adopted what Wolfgang Pauli referred to as a third position-one that goes beyond both Darwinism and Lamarckism. This third position is strongly informed by the notion that evolutionary changes are not random but meaningful, and that synchronicity has a role to play in the way evolution takes shape. This suggests that Jung is not so much a kindred spirit to Neo-Darwinian evolutionary psychologists, but a thinker who is much closer in his intuitions and affinities to several evolutionary thinkers who have been influential in the field of transpersonal psychology, most notably Ken Wilber.
The Innateness of Myth : A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell’s Reception of C.G. Jung, 2009
The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE... more The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... > < E 3 5 S5 R O o The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... Continuum Advances in Religious Studies ...
Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-... more Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-Jungian community and amongst scholars with an interest in Jung in the wider academic community. Yet surprisingly few substantial pieces of work have been dedicated to it and, to my mind, no one has yet managed to do justice to all the subtleties involved. The scholars who have claimed that Jung is a Lamarckian have, for the most part, oversimplified the debate by failing to discuss the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism; the scholars who have defended Jung against Lamarckism, however, have as a rule not adequately dealt with the question of whether these passages actually get Jung off the hook. This paper will attempt to correct this imbalance by putting forward four key passages spanning Jung&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s career that all represent conclusive evidence that Jung was indeed a Lamarckian. After discussing these, it will then deal in detail with the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism, making the case that they do not represent a defence against Lamarckism at all and have therefore generally been misinterpreted by many scholars.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2016
Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind’s evolutionary h... more Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind’s evolutionary history throughout his career, he remained notoriously tight-lipped about his own specific views on evolutionary theory. In the final years of his life, however, he finally went more into detail about this important topic, putting forward a most thought-provoking idea: the notion that synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences, had a role to play in the way evolution took shape. As I will argue in this paper, Jung’s comments on this topic present clear evidence that he did not think primarily along Darwinian lines, as has recently been claimed; rather, I will argue that he adopted what Wolfgang Pauli referred to as a third position—one that goes beyond both Darwinism and Lamarckism. This third position is strongly informed by the notion that evolutionary changes are not random but meaningful, and that synchronicity has a role to play in the way evolution takes shape. This suggests that Jung is not so much a kindred spirit to Neo-Darwinian evolutionary psychologists, but a thinker who is much closer in his intuitions and affinities to several evolutionary thinkers who have been influential in the field of transpersonal psychology, most notably Ken Wilber.
In this article I will show that Nietzsche had a particularly strong influence on Jung’s thinking... more In this article I will show that Nietzsche had a particularly strong influence on Jung’s thinking about war and conflict. I will also show how Jung’s ideas about this topic changed over time, culminating in a final theoretical position which revolves around the concept of the archetypal shadow.
(This is a follow-up article to my earlier article on Jung and Nietzsche called "Jung's reception of Friedrich Nietzsche: a roadmap for the uninitiated")
A short introduction to Jung's reception of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. For a more in-depth... more A short introduction to Jung's reception of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. For a more in-depth follow-up article to this article, see my recent article "Wotan in the shadows".
Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-... more Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-Jungian community and amongst scholars with an interest in Jung in the wider academic community. Yet surprisingly few substantial pieces of work have been dedicated to it and, to my mind, no one has yet managed to do justice to all the subtleties involved. The scholars who have claimed that Jung is a Lamarckian have, for the most part, oversimplified the debate by failing to discuss the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism; the scholars who have defended Jung against Lamarckism, however, have as a rule not adequately dealt with the question of whether these passages actually get Jung off the hook. This paper will attempt to correct this imbalance by putting forward four key passages spanning Jung's career that all represent conclusive evidence that Jung was indeed a Lamarckian. After discussing these, it will then deal in detail with the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism, making the case that they do not represent a defence against Lamarckism at all and have therefore generally been misinterpreted by many scholars.
A short article written for the Joseph Campbell Foundation in 2008, in which I share some of my e... more A short article written for the Joseph Campbell Foundation in 2008, in which I share some of my experiences of doing research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara.
College can be a stressful time in your life. There is so much going on - from sports to finances... more College can be a stressful time in your life. There is so much going on - from sports to finances to shopping for food and studying - that it can be hard to keep all balls in the air and survive with your sanity in tact. If you want to get decent grades, have a good time, and keep your stress levels under control, learning how to get organised is a must. This book, written by Dutch college lecturer Dr. Ritske Rensma, will teach you all you need to know. Short, simple and written with a healthy dose of humour, it will show you how to declutter, destress, and get organised - all through the power of lists.
Topics covered include: -How to use weekplans to remember the big stuff and make sure you start with your most important projects on time -How to use to-do lists to remember the small stuff and prioritise what is most important to work on -How to deal with distractions and overcome procrastination (with a special focus on handling digital distractions such as social media)
Inspired by time management classics such as Getting Things Done and Eat That Frog, Make Lists Not Fists will teach you a simple, effective time management system that actually works, and which hundreds of students have already learned and put into practice with great results. Now fully updated and revised (2020).
"I am currently using this system and it’s working like a charm. I am managing the work which needs to be done for my Master, I am doing several projects on the side, I have a social life and I am sleeping enough.” Amand van Rossum, Dutch college student
“It actually works. I cannot recall one more stressful moment since I started working with it.” Debby-Esmée de Vlugt, writing in student magazine Tabula Rasa.
The book I wrote on Joseph Campbell's reception of C.G. Jung. Based on my PhD thesis at universit... more The book I wrote on Joseph Campbell's reception of C.G. Jung. Based on my PhD thesis at university of Edinburgh, Religious Studies department, and on archival research done at Joseph Campbell library in Santa Barbara. First chapter available for download.
“Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell’s view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended.”
Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK
The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE... more The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... > < E 3 5 S5 R O o The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... Continuum Advances in Religious Studies ...
In this thesis I will be offering an analysis of CG Jung's influence on the theoretical fram... more In this thesis I will be offering an analysis of CG Jung's influence on the theoretical framework of the American comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell. My first main argument will be that Campbell underwent what I am calling a 'Jungian turn' around 1968: before this date he ...
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2016
Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind's evolutionary h... more Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind's evolutionary history throughout his career, he remained notoriously tight-lipped about his own specific views on evolutionary theory. In the final years of his life, however, he finally went more into detail about this important topic, putting forward a most thought-provoking idea: the notion that synchronicity, or meaning ful coincidences, had a role to play in the way evolution took shape. As I will argue in this paper, Jung's comments on this topic present clear evidence that he did not think primarily along Darwinian lines, as has recently been claimed; rather, I will argue that he adopted what Wolfgang Pauli referred to as a third position-one that goes beyond both Darwinism and Lamarckism. This third position is strongly informed by the notion that evolutionary changes are not random but meaningful, and that synchronicity has a role to play in the way evolution takes shape. This suggests that Jung is not so much a kindred spirit to Neo-Darwinian evolutionary psychologists, but a thinker who is much closer in his intuitions and affinities to several evolutionary thinkers who have been influential in the field of transpersonal psychology, most notably Ken Wilber.
The Innateness of Myth : A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell’s Reception of C.G. Jung, 2009
The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE... more The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... > < E 3 5 S5 R O o The Innateness of Myth A New Interpretation of Joseph Campbell's Reception of CG Jung RITSKE RENSMA ... Continuum Advances in Religious Studies ...
Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-... more Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-Jungian community and amongst scholars with an interest in Jung in the wider academic community. Yet surprisingly few substantial pieces of work have been dedicated to it and, to my mind, no one has yet managed to do justice to all the subtleties involved. The scholars who have claimed that Jung is a Lamarckian have, for the most part, oversimplified the debate by failing to discuss the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism; the scholars who have defended Jung against Lamarckism, however, have as a rule not adequately dealt with the question of whether these passages actually get Jung off the hook. This paper will attempt to correct this imbalance by putting forward four key passages spanning Jung&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s career that all represent conclusive evidence that Jung was indeed a Lamarckian. After discussing these, it will then deal in detail with the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism, making the case that they do not represent a defence against Lamarckism at all and have therefore generally been misinterpreted by many scholars.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 2016
Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind’s evolutionary h... more Although Jung made a connection between his concept of the archetype and mankind’s evolutionary history throughout his career, he remained notoriously tight-lipped about his own specific views on evolutionary theory. In the final years of his life, however, he finally went more into detail about this important topic, putting forward a most thought-provoking idea: the notion that synchronicity, or meaningful coincidences, had a role to play in the way evolution took shape. As I will argue in this paper, Jung’s comments on this topic present clear evidence that he did not think primarily along Darwinian lines, as has recently been claimed; rather, I will argue that he adopted what Wolfgang Pauli referred to as a third position—one that goes beyond both Darwinism and Lamarckism. This third position is strongly informed by the notion that evolutionary changes are not random but meaningful, and that synchronicity has a role to play in the way evolution takes shape. This suggests that Jung is not so much a kindred spirit to Neo-Darwinian evolutionary psychologists, but a thinker who is much closer in his intuitions and affinities to several evolutionary thinkers who have been influential in the field of transpersonal psychology, most notably Ken Wilber.
In this article I will show that Nietzsche had a particularly strong influence on Jung’s thinking... more In this article I will show that Nietzsche had a particularly strong influence on Jung’s thinking about war and conflict. I will also show how Jung’s ideas about this topic changed over time, culminating in a final theoretical position which revolves around the concept of the archetypal shadow.
(This is a follow-up article to my earlier article on Jung and Nietzsche called "Jung's reception of Friedrich Nietzsche: a roadmap for the uninitiated")
A short introduction to Jung's reception of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. For a more in-depth... more A short introduction to Jung's reception of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche. For a more in-depth follow-up article to this article, see my recent article "Wotan in the shadows".
Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-... more Whether Jung was a Lamarckian or not has always been a hotly debated topic, both within the post-Jungian community and amongst scholars with an interest in Jung in the wider academic community. Yet surprisingly few substantial pieces of work have been dedicated to it and, to my mind, no one has yet managed to do justice to all the subtleties involved. The scholars who have claimed that Jung is a Lamarckian have, for the most part, oversimplified the debate by failing to discuss the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism; the scholars who have defended Jung against Lamarckism, however, have as a rule not adequately dealt with the question of whether these passages actually get Jung off the hook. This paper will attempt to correct this imbalance by putting forward four key passages spanning Jung's career that all represent conclusive evidence that Jung was indeed a Lamarckian. After discussing these, it will then deal in detail with the passages in which Jung appears to be defending himself against Lamarckism, making the case that they do not represent a defence against Lamarckism at all and have therefore generally been misinterpreted by many scholars.
A short article written for the Joseph Campbell Foundation in 2008, in which I share some of my e... more A short article written for the Joseph Campbell Foundation in 2008, in which I share some of my experiences of doing research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara.
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Books by Ritske Rensma
Topics covered include:
-How to use weekplans to remember the big stuff and make sure you start with your most important projects on time
-How to use to-do lists to remember the small stuff and prioritise what is most important to work on
-How to deal with distractions and overcome procrastination (with a special focus on handling digital distractions such as social media)
Inspired by time management classics such as Getting Things Done and Eat That Frog, Make Lists Not Fists will teach you a simple, effective time management system that actually works, and which hundreds of students have already learned and put into practice with great results. Now fully updated and revised (2020).
"I am currently using this system and it’s working like a charm. I am managing the work which needs to be done for my Master, I am doing several projects on the side, I have a social life and I am sleeping enough.”
Amand van Rossum, Dutch college student
“It actually works. I cannot recall one more stressful moment since I started working with it.”
Debby-Esmée de Vlugt, writing in student magazine Tabula Rasa.
“Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell’s view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended.”
Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK
Papers by Ritske Rensma
(This is a follow-up article to my earlier article on Jung and Nietzsche called "Jung's reception of Friedrich Nietzsche: a roadmap for the uninitiated")
Topics covered include:
-How to use weekplans to remember the big stuff and make sure you start with your most important projects on time
-How to use to-do lists to remember the small stuff and prioritise what is most important to work on
-How to deal with distractions and overcome procrastination (with a special focus on handling digital distractions such as social media)
Inspired by time management classics such as Getting Things Done and Eat That Frog, Make Lists Not Fists will teach you a simple, effective time management system that actually works, and which hundreds of students have already learned and put into practice with great results. Now fully updated and revised (2020).
"I am currently using this system and it’s working like a charm. I am managing the work which needs to be done for my Master, I am doing several projects on the side, I have a social life and I am sleeping enough.”
Amand van Rossum, Dutch college student
“It actually works. I cannot recall one more stressful moment since I started working with it.”
Debby-Esmée de Vlugt, writing in student magazine Tabula Rasa.
“Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell’s view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended.”
Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK
(This is a follow-up article to my earlier article on Jung and Nietzsche called "Jung's reception of Friedrich Nietzsche: a roadmap for the uninitiated")