Joseph Campbell The separation of East and West

Joseph Campbell The separation of East and West

Joseph John Campbell (1904-1987) - American scholar of mythology, most famous for his works on comparative mythology and religion. Joseph Campbell has gained great popularity after a series of films for a television interview with journalist Bill Moyers in the 1985-86 year. These non-fiction films were very popular with TV viewers of America. In his books, James Campbell wanted to write a history of myths, which can be traced through the "unity of the spiritual history of mankind." His works can be characterized as a popularize of encyclopedic work, the top of which was released on languid richly illustrated "Historical Atlas of World Mythology (Acs, 38-44).

Causes of West's Individuality

Residents of the West are not easy to imagine that recently appeared in our idea of the importance of the individual, respect for the individual, his rights and freedom for the East completely meaningless. The same would have seemed incomprehensible they are primitive people, the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, India and China. Speaking, views are opposed ideals and the way of life within the meaning of most of the world.

The main boundary line separating the eastern from the western world can be regarded as the meridian line of the cultural divide, on both sides of which there is two creative matrix developed cultures to the east - India and the Far East (China and Japan), and to the west - the Levant (Middle East) and Europe. Throughout the history, of these four worlds, each retained its own unique characteristics - the mythology, religion, philosophy and ideals, not to mention the way of life, fashion and art, despite the differences, they still should be considered in pairs: India and the Far East, and Levant and Europe.

Eastern centers, fenced off from the West and each other endless deserts and mountains thousands of years of isolation, were deeply conservative. Levant and Europe, by contrast, constantly come into conflict and fruitful trade relations and were wide open as the major invasions, and the mutual exchange of goods and sturdy ideas. Amazing spiritual and material achievements of the current turbulent times is largely due to the fact that the once strong walls of India and the Far East were first covered with holes, and then destroyed (Barber, 85-88.). After that, however, the world is faced with a problem that in the mythology embodies the tradition of the biblical Tower of Babel when God confused the languages of the peoples so that they no longer build their eternal city, and scattered as it is written, "in the face of the earth" (Gen. 11:4). Today, however, there is no place where one could hide from each other, in this, of course, is the special complexity of our times.

This concept is exactly the opposite of the idea, imposed by all - even the great saints and sages - in the East, where reigns supreme confidence that the person must identify with the end of his ...