Integrity in Depth

Integrity in Depth, by John Beebe, is a quiet, profound meditation on the concept of integrity. Dr. Beebe, a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst and scholar, has found a way to write effectively about a term that encompasses many qualities including authenticity, completeness, wholeness, and honesty. I found the book wise, tolerant, sophisticated but accessible, succinct, and filled with subtle compassion. Beebe explores integrity from a psychological rather than moral perspective, while honoring the links between the two. For Beebe, integrity is neither blind obedience to "an elaborated system of justice." Nor is it to be confused with heroic inflation or ego-driven rebellion. Beebe locates integrity in the interplay of what Andrew Samuels terms "original morality" and "moral imagination." Integrity is found not in the outcome of a struggle between the two, but in the pattern of a dance. Integrity resides in the space between. Beebe maintains that integrity is not selflessness, but balance between ego and Self. He writes: "Cicero and Franklin discovered a paradox: integrity, which would seem to presuppose a conscience uncontaminated by concern for political advantage, cannot be separated from personal ambition for approval. Rather it is the right way to win that approval." To Beebe, true integrity imparts a quality of delight. Integrity in Depth explores the concept of integrity in many contexts. It includes important contributions to the discussion of ethics in psychotherapy. It also includes interesting ideas on the relationship of anxiety and shame to integrity, the function of the dream in restoring integrity, the relationship of eastern thought to integrity, and the connections between integrity and Twelve Step programs. There is an extended reflection on integrity and the work of Jung and some rather profound Post-Jungian observations on integrity and gender. One reason why the book had an impact on me is that it contains so much evidence of Beebe's own integrity. This is manifested in many ways - the entire tone of the book, the precision of the language, the care with which ideas are attributed to others, and the author's willingness to include examples of his own experiences and feelings. In this sense, the book shows as well as tells the meaning of integrity. This is a fine book of obvious relevance to both personal life and the growing moral bewilderment of modern American society.