Joseph Campbell (contradiction, beliefs, creation, myths, experience)

[Adie]

Joseph Campbell is incredible. I love the way he puts so many different religions into one boat and shows us just how similar they are. I'm more familiar with his belief that myth is an inherent archetype, although I can certainly agree with the notion that myth is culturally diffused. I think it's a bit of both, actually. Although so many different peoples living such distances apart came up with the same ideals of the ultimate, I believe that the similarities between religions today are because they first of all, come from the same foundation, and second of all, become intermingled through sharing stories. An example that somewhat fits in: the Noah's Arc story is decidedly similar to the story in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and we now have scientific evidence of a great flood that took place thousands of years ago. Here we have a foundation- our scientific evidence of a great flood- and two stories from rather different mythologies that explains it. I know that my example doesn't get into the spiritual foundation of the ultimate and of what it entails, but it was the first example I thought of ( ;

Anywho, I don't have that much knowledge of Campbell as a person, but rather have focused on his words and studies. I certainly hope he had supportive parents and a great role model, otherwise the path he had chosen for himself would have been quite hard. Regardless, I'm so glad he did follow his bliss, because he's become a great role model for me!

[Trinity]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

he thought myths were universal to all mankind. That... explains why ancient religions thousands of miles apart had similar themes. He described it this way. The energies that are created by our organs and glands interacting with each other are given names.

Campbell is excellent. I think I am a little off the topic here, and my apologies if so, but there are other widely accepted theories on myth and religion. One that makes sense to me is the idea of historical aetiology. This says, for example, no one was there to record the events of Adam and Eve, a
myth may have been devised to explain some current situation man is facing, by delving into history to explain its source. This does not mean the event did not happen, it does mean it is mans way of explaining his current condition.

[Lightkeeper]

Originally Posted by Trinity

Campbell is excellent. I think I am a little off the topic here, and my apologies if so, but there are other widely accepted theories on myth and religion. One that makes sense to me is the idea of historical aetiology. This says, for example, no one was there to record the events of Adam and Eve, a
myth may have been devised to explain some current situation man is facing, by delving into history to explain its source. This does not mean the event did not happen, it does mean it is mans way of explaining his current condition.

You might want to start a new thread on this.

[Runt]

I've read a little of Campbell's work, and would guess that the first hypothesis, that he believes (isn't he still alive?) that myth arose out of universal archetypes, is the correct one. I personally think myths arose out of human desire to understand "how things came to be"... humans, not knowing much about science, imagined all kinds of possibilities, and these myths were more or less the science of their time...

[Trinity]

Originally Posted by Lightkeeper

You might want to start a new thread on this.

This will be the last one if it is off, but are we talking about conceptions of myth or campbell more specifically?

[Sunstone]

We're talking about Joseph Campbell and his conception of myths. But since this is in the debate section, perhaps you could introduce a non-Campbell view of myth as an opposing view. So long as you don't mind it being debated.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by Runt

isn't he still alive?

No, he died in 1987.

Completely off topic of the OP, but I didn't want to start a new thread....

I just finished reading Campbell's "Myths of Light", twice, back to back. I LOVE IT! Recommend it to anyone who likes his work.