An archetype shapes ways of thinking.
The first thing to do in order to know the meaning of the term archetype is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, it must be stated that it comes from Greek, specifically, it derives from the word "arjetypes" which is the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated parts such as these:
-The noun “arjé”, which can be translated as “origin”.
-The name “types”, which is equivalent to “models”.
What is an archetype
An archetype is the first model of something. The concept, in this sense, can be linked to a prototype : the original mold in which an object is first produced.
Archetypes are patterns from which other elements or ideas are derived. It can be something physical or symbolic, always capable of generating something more from themselves.
The archetype can also be considered as an example . From the archetype, behaviors and ways of thinking are shaped that are built by imitation or in search of similarity.
In some contexts, archetype is associated with prototype.
The concept in philosophy and biology
For philosophy , archetypes are thoughts shared collectively and that are universal . Individual thought, and its corresponding actions, arise based on these archetypes, which allow us to order and classify the world.
In the field of biology , archetypes were used from the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century as original and ideal types from which the rest of the species belonging to the same phylum were derived.
The archetype according to Jung
The psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung , for his part, appealed to the notion of archetype to explain the construction of the collective unconscious : the set of primitive symbols shared by people from all places and all times that express elements of the psyche that They exceed the field of reason.
The Jungian archetype , in this way, is made up of fantasies and dream representations that are linked to legends, myths and religious concepts and that shape the experiences of individuals. The figure of the hero , for example, is an archetype mentioned by Jung .
The Jungian classification
According to the proposals raised by that illustrious figure, we find several types of archetypes, such as these:
-Anima, which becomes the archetype of the feminine in the mind of man.
-Animus, which is the masculine side of the feminine personality.
-Father, who is an authority figure. In the same way, it is the one in charge of coming to share certain advice and information about how to move forward in life.
-Mother, which is the archetype used to refer to ancestors, origins, motherhood...
-Wise, who is in charge of providing light to the hero so that he can achieve his goals and continue his path.
-The person, who becomes the archetype of the image that we project towards others and that, therefore, they have of us.
The trickster or the aforementioned hero are other archetypes found within the approach made by Carl Gustav Jung. We find many of these in literary works, movies... As would be the case, for example, in “The Matrix”.