Joseph Campbell

Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer and the husband of Jean Erdman. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College and worked in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work explored many aspects of the human condition.

Campbell’s most famous book is The Hero with a Thousand Faces, published in 1949. In this book, he described a common journey taken by heroes in stories from around the world, which he called the monomyth. He explained how many myths share similar patterns, calling the main character the archetypal hero and describing the steps of this journey.

After The Hero with a Thousand Faces came out, many modern writers and artists began using Campbell’s ideas in their work. He became well known in Hollywood when George Lucas said that Campbell’s ideas helped shape his Star Wars movies. One of Campbell’s most remembered sayings is “Follow your bliss,” which many people still use to encourage others to chase their dreams.

Life

Joseph Campbell was born on March 26, 1904, in White Plains, New York. His family was from Waltham, Massachusetts and New York, and they were raised in an upper-middle-class Irish Catholic home. He went to school in New Rochelle, New York and later studied at the Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut. He then went to Dartmouth College before transferring to Columbia University, where he earned degrees in English literature and medieval literature.

During the Great Depression, Campbell lived simply in Woodstock, New York, where he spent much time reading and thinking. He traveled to California and became friends with writer John Steinbeck. In 1934, Campbell began teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. He married Jean Erdman, a dancer and choreographer, in 1938, and they lived in Greenwich Village in New York City.

Campbell took a break from teaching to travel to Asia, which deeply affected his understanding of Asian religion and myth. He retired from Sarah Lawrence College in 1972 after 38 years of teaching. He passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii, on October 30, 1987.

Influences

Campbell often talked about the work of modern writers like James Joyce and Thomas Mann, as well as the art of Pablo Picasso. He learned about their work while studying in Paris and later wrote to Mann.

The ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche deeply shaped Campbell's thinking, and he often quoted their writings. His famous idea to "follow your bliss" came partly from old Hindu texts called the Upanishads, and maybe also from a novel called Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

Campbell was also influenced by the anthropologist Leo Frobenius and his student Adolf Ellegard Jensen, as well as psychologists Abraham Maslow and Stanislav Grof. His ideas about myths and the human mind were shaped by the work of Sigmund Freud, but mostly by Carl Jung. Jung's studies of human psychology, especially about dreams and symbols, were very important to Campbell. Jung was deeply inspired by an old book called the Bardo Thodol, also known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Campbell loved this book and said it gave him many important ideas and insights.

Comparative mythology and theories

Monomyth

Campbell's idea of monomyth means that all myths are different versions of one big story. He thought that underneath all these stories, there is a common pattern. This pattern is often called "the hero's journey" and was first described in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell liked the writer James Joyce and used the word "monomyth" from Joyce's work. Campbell also used ideas from Carl Jung about the human mind.

Functions of myth

Campbell said that myths have four important jobs in society. First, they help people feel wonder and gratitude for life. Second, they explain how the world works, like how seasons change. Third, they support the way people live together by telling stories that match the rules of their society. Fourth, they guide people through different stages of life, helping them face challenges.

Evolution of myth

Campbell believed that myths change over time as societies develop. In early hunting societies, myths often focused on animals and nature. When people started farming, myths changed to focus on the earth and seasons. Later, in big civilizations, myths were inspired by stars and the idea that life follows a pattern. In medieval times, new stories about love and romance appeared, showing changes in how people thought about relationships.

Legacy

Joseph Campbell Foundation

In 1991, Joseph Campbell's wife, Jean Erdman, worked with his friend and editor, Robert Walter, to start the Joseph Campbell Foundation. The foundation has done many things, like publishing Campbell's books and recordings, giving out awards, and holding discussions about myths, stories, and cultures all around the world.

Film and television

Many filmmakers have been inspired by Joseph Campbell's ideas. George Lucas, the maker of the Star Wars film, said that Campbell's book The Hero with a Thousand Faces helped shape the story of Star Wars. Lucas talked about this in a book called A Fire in the Mind. Later, Lucas met Campbell and they talked about how stories help us understand life. They even made a TV special together called The Power of Myth.

Other filmmakers, like the writer of _The Lion King, have also used Campbell's ideas to help tell their stories. Shows like Community and Rick and Morty also talk about Campbell's way of thinking about stories.

Popular literature

Writers and game designers have also used Campbell's ideas to help them create stories. For example, the author of Watership Down used ideas from Campbell's books in his book. Even famous writers like Dan Brown said Campbell's work inspired him.

"Follow your bliss"

One of Campbell's most famous ideas was to "follow your bliss." He meant that if you do what makes you truly happy, you'll find the right path in life. He shared this idea with his students and it became very popular, especially after the TV special The Power of Myth was shown in 1988.

Academic reception and criticism

Joseph Campbell’s ideas about myths and stories were studied and sometimes criticized by experts in folklore. Some folklorists said he focused only on stories that fit his ideas and ignored others that didn’t. Others felt he wasn’t a true expert in folklore and that his work was too simple.

Some people also questioned his knowledge of certain languages and his views on different cultures. Different writers had various opinions about his work, with some admiring him and others finding faults.

Works

Early collaborations

Main article: A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake

Joseph Campbell’s first work was Where the Two Came to Their Father (1943). This book tells a story from the Navajo people about two heroes who visit their father, the Sun, and gain powers to fight monsters. Campbell added his own thoughts and explanations to the story.

He was also influenced by the writer James Joyce. One of his most famous early books, A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake (1944), helps readers understand Joyce’s complex book Finnegans Wake. Another important book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), talks about the “hero’s journey,” a common pattern in stories about heroes around the world.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Main article: The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Campbell wrote many stories in his early years, but later he focused more on non-fiction. His book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) became very well known. It says that many famous hero stories, like those of Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus, share similar ideas. The book helped people learn about comparing different cultures’ myths and stories.

The Masks of God

From 1959 to 1968, Campbell wrote four books called The Masks of God. These books look at myths from many different places and times. Unlike his earlier book, these focus more on how myths change over history and in different cultures.

Historical Atlas of World Mythology

Main article: Historical Atlas of World Mythology

When Campbell died, he was working on a big project called Historical Atlas of World Mythology. He thought that myths change in four main ways over time. Only part of this project was finished when he passed away, and others helped finish some of it later.

The Power of Myth

Main article: The Power of Myth

Campbell became even more famous when he worked with Bill Moyers on a TV series called The Power of Myth in 1988. They talked about important ideas in myths and religions. A book with their conversations was also very popular.

Collected Works

The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell is a big project to gather all of Campbell’s writing and talks. It includes many books, audio, and video recordings of his lectures.

Other books

Campbell wrote many other books about myths and stories. Some of these include:

• Where the Two Came to Their Father: A Navaho War Ceremonial (1943)
• The Flight of the Wild Gander (1968)
• Myths to Live By (1972)
• The Mythic Image (1974)
• The Inner Reaches of Outer Space (1986)
• Transformations of Myth Through Time (1990)
• And many more...

Interview books

Campbell also did many interviews that were turned into books, like:

• The Power of Myth (1988) with Bill Moyers
• An Open Life (1989) with Michael Toms
• The Hero's Journey (1990)

Audio recordings

Campbell’s talks and lectures are also available as audio recordings, such as:

• Mythology and the Individual
• The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers
• Transformation of Myth through Time

Video recordings

There are also several video recordings of Campbell’s talks and films about his ideas, including:

• The Hero's Journey: A Biographical Portrait
• Sukhavati: A Mythic Journey
• Mythos

TV appearances

Campbell appeared on TV, including segments on Bill Moyers Journal in 1981.

Edited books

Campbell also helped edit many books by other authors, such as:

• The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (1942)
• Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization by Heinrich Zimmer
• The Portable Arabian Nights (1951)