The politics of myth : a study of C.G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell / Robert Ellwood.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ellwood, Robert S., 1933-

Series:

SUNY series, issues in the study of religion

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Eliade, Mircea, 1907-1986--Political and social views.

Campbell, Joseph, 1904-1987--Political and social views.

Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875-1961--Political and social views.

Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav), 1875-1961.

Campbell, Joseph, 1904-1987.

Eliade, Mircea, 1907-1986.

Mythologists--Attitudes--History--20th century.

Mythologists.

History.

Political and social views.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiv, 207 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [1999]

Summary:

The Politics of Myth examines the political views implicit in the mythological theories of three of the most widely read popularizers of myth in the twentieth century, C. G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell. All three had intellectual roots in the anti-modern pessimism and romanticism that also helped give rise to European fascism, and all three have been accused of fascist and anti-Semitic sentiments. At the same time, they themselves tended toward individualistic views of the power of myth, believing that the world of ancient myth contained resources that could be of immense help to people baffled by the ambiguities and superficiality of modern life.

Robert Ellwood details the life and thought of each mythologist and the intellectual and spiritual worlds within which they worked. He reviews the damaging charges that have been made about their politics, taking them seriously while endeavoring to put them in the context of the individual's entire career and lifetime contribution. Above all, he seeks to extract from their published work the view of the political world that seems most congruent with it.

Contents:

1 Myth, Gnosis, and Modernity 1

2 Carl Gustav Jung and Wotan's Return 37

3 Mircea Eliade and Nostalgia for the Sacred 79

4 Joseph Campbell and the New Quest for the Holy Grail 127

5 Conclusion: The Myth of Myth 171.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 179-201) and index.

ISBN:

0791443051

079144306X

OCLC:

40480022