E-raamat: Myth Analyzed [Taylor & Francis e-raamat]

"Compiling and critiquing modern theories and theorists of myth, this book offers an overview of theories around the origin and function of various mythologies and mythological figures, allowing wider theoretical claims to be made about the relationship between societies and their myths. This ambitious collection of essays uses the tools and viewpoints of a range of disciplines in order to advocate for theoretical generalizations about myth as a whole. The book is divided into five sections, covering topics such as, myth and psychoanalysis; hero myths; myth and science; myth and politics; and myth and the physical world. Chapters engage with Freud, Jung, Popper and other thinkers, demonstrating how myth still plays a vital role in our communities and individual identities. The synthesising of these theories allows the reader to see that myths tend to be the result of a need, either material or existential, rather than a spontaneous creation. This is a fascinating survey by a leading voice in the study ofmyth. As such, it will be of great interest to scholars of myth and how it interacts with Sociology, Anthropology, Politics and Economics"--

Comparing and evaluating modern theories of myth, this book offers an overview of explanations of myth from the social sciences and the humanities.

This ambitious collection of essays uses the viewpoints of a variety of disciplines - psychology, anthropology, sociology, politics, philosophy, religious studies, and literature. Each discipline advocates a generalization about the origin, the function, and the subject matter of myth. The subject is always not what makes any myth distinct but what makes all myths "myth". The book is divided into five sections, covering topics such as myth and psychoanalysis, hero myths, myth and science, myth and politics, and myth and the physical world. Chapters engage with an array of theorists--among them, Freud, Jung, Campbell, Rank, Winnicott, Tylor, Frazer, Malinowski, Levy-Bruhl, Levi-Strauss, Harrison, and Burkert. The book considers whether myth still plays a role in our lives is one of the issues considered, showing that myths arise anything but spontaneously. They are the result of a specific need, which varies from theory to theory.

This is a fascinating survey by a leading voice in the study of myth. As such, it will be of much interest to scholars of myth and how it interacts with Sociology, Anthropology, Politics and Economics.