Vol.:(0123456789) Studies in Philosophy and Education https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-019-09661-4 1 3 An Integrative Psychic Life, Nonviolent Relations, and Curriculum Dynamics in Teacher Education Hongyu Wang 1 © Springer Nature B.V. 2019 Abstract This paper draws upon both Carl Jung’s theory of the psyche and nonviolence philoso- phy to re-examine curriculum dynamics in the context of teacher education. An integra- tive psychic life is enabled by the transcendent function of assimilating the unconscious to expand the horizon of consciousness while the integrative power of nonviolence heals the wounds of violence and promotes compassionate relationships. These theories follow dif- ferent directions—the primary focus of Jung’s theory is the individual person and that of nonviolence theory is humane relationality—but their underlying philosophical principles also intersect in ways that have important implications for today’s education. This paper focuses on three major intersections: the thread of interconnectedness is the undercurrent of an integrative psychic life and the underlying foundation for nonviolent relations; the shadow awareness within the individual psyche creates a social space for compassionate relationships with others; and complementary modes of psychic and nonviolent integration provide multiple pathways for teacher educators’ pedagogy and students’ self-education. After elaborating on these intersecting aspects and their curriculum implications, the final section discusses curriculum dynamics for subjective and social transformation through analysing the interactive relationships between and among teacher educators, students, texts, and contexts. Keywords Jungian theory · Nonviolence philosophy · Curriculum dynamics · Teacher education · International wisdom traditions This paper draws upon both Carl Jung’s theory of the psyche and nonviolence philoso- phy to re-examine curriculum dynamics in the context of teacher education. The Jungian theory is about individualized pathways of integrating the conscious and the unconscious, while nonviolence theory is about integrating the body and the mind within the self and developing compassionate relationships with others. For the past decade I have elaborated the meanings of nonviolence philosophy for curriculum studies in various contexts, and intentionally chosen the word ‘nonviolence’ over ‘non-violence’ to emphasize its positive * Hongyu Wang hongyu.wang@okstate.edu 1 School of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA