Discussing myth can help bring these things to light.
Myth can also broaden our view from introspection to an examination of the workings of our society and culture. As already mentioned, our civilization can be seen as a continuum from the Ancient Greeks to the modern day. This is one way in which myth can help o explain our world -- understanding the Greeks from whom many of our ideas and myths came provides an understanding of ourselves (Powell, Chapter 2). According to Campbell, myth can even explain things that occurred before the Greeks, such as the nearly worldwide system of patriarchy that seems to have replaced a matriarchy in the pre-historic period (Campbell, 125-6). Many myths contain heroic and dominant ma figures, but they also contain hints of the concept of the Earth Goddess or powerful feminine force of reception and creation rather than simple submission.
Far from just allowing us a better understanding of ourselves and our culture, a discussion of myth today can help lead us to a better understanding of other cultures, as well, and how we interact with other human beings in general. An examination of the interaction between changing myths and changing societies and how the two seem to affect each other can lead to a better understanding of the role myth plays in our perspective and worldview (Powell, Chapter 3). In addition, many of the archetypes that exist in...
This can give different and seemingly disparate cultures a common ground upon which to build a larger understanding. The discussion of myth can lead to a more open understanding of many of the perspectives that drive bout our culture and other foreign cultures, which can make intentions and actions much clearer. In short, an understanding of myth necessarily implies an understanding of the way human beings and societies work, too, and a discussion of myth is tantamount to a discussion of these human aspects. Such a discussion can only lead to greater understanding and acceptance of each other.
The better we understand ourselves, the better we are able to understand our culture and society, and our place in it. Such an understanding will also lead to a better understanding of others, and this understanding will lead to greater acceptance and cooperation among the different countries and cultures in our ever-shrinking world. The discussion of myth is one of the best ways to increase these basic understandings. Though myths are as old as humanity, they have remained relevant and powerful throughout all epochs of human development.
Works Cited
Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Anchor books, 1988.
Powell, Barry. Classical Myth. New York: Prentice Hall, 2006.
