Well... Why do societies create myths?
Myths are an ancient and not so ancient way of explaining the unexplainable; for example, when the Norse god Thor was at is forge and shaping his metal with his mighty hammer, the ringing would come to Earth and cause thunder. Of course, in our society today, we the scientist know that thunder is not cause by Thor, but by superheated air and electrons in the atmosphere. But what is more important: the scientific answer, or a story past down from generations past?
The creation of myths is important for a society to found a common language between its members. Without the popular narratives of Thor, Kari, Loki, and the like , the Norse people would be left without words to describe the natural world and human behavior. They would have no way to communicate their emotions or fears, but be left with the incommunicable unconsciousness. "The unconscious mind is...visual and figural..." (20) and because is it unique to each individual, structure, like language, is needed to describe what is going on in the unconscious mind. But sometimes the scope of emotions, the shock value, the disbelief that an event creates cannot be described but a linear language. None the less, stories are useful in providing a bases for a culture's language, a foundation for a community's discourse: "The myth defines what has the right to be said and done in the culture" (25). In today's world, a popular myth of America is achieving the "American Dream" and overcoming a large obstacle in life; this drives many Americans to achieve material wealth and a few to reaping spiritual wealth. This hope, created by the American myth, is embedded in our society and defines the nation as a whole and gives its members a common ground. It allows people to hope and work for better quality of life, and rise above problems surrounding their lives. The narrative of hope and endless possibilities found in America is very similar to the Norse gods-it provides a foundation for society to thrive and grow on and to describe commonalities between its members.
Now, science cannot be considered a narrative because "it cannot legitimize itself" (25) by using only scientific ideas and procedures. Instead, it also relies on stories represented by theories, like the Big Bang Theory. There is no way to definitely prove the theory, so it becomes a story, something with a grain of truth but stands without much validation-you cannot disprove something you are no sure of in the first place. Science needs narrative to describe its purpose in society. It cannot stand alone, and prove itself; it must have a story or a theory to prove itself. Because it cannot stand without story, science cannot be the ultimate foundation of society; even in Brave New World, "generalities are intellectually necessary evils" (4) in a society based on science and consumption. The story of how children are conditioned and why "History is bunk" (34) is necessary for the working masses to understand the general process of society. Stories are needed to provide foundation for communication in society and validation the scientific process.
I love how you pointed out how societies create a bond by creating stories, it really does make a defining link among cultures. However, I must disagree with you about the validation of the scientific method, because it is just about as validated as any other myth that holds popular belief. The scientific method is just an agreed upon process that helps shape that narrative, it is up to people to derive truth from it. Nothing in science would exist if it weren’t for the unscientific human element that drives science along, meaning that science itself it derived from unscientific means. Even though some people explore the world for the joy of discovery, that joy taints the purity of the scientific process by bringing in human emotion. Other narratives gain their validation purely through emotion, while science indirectly does so. That means that every narrative, no matter how pure it claims to be, will be altered by the human condition through which it is processed.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm really liking some of the things you have to say about myths. I can't believe I didn't even think of the "American Dream," after all that time we spent discussing it last year in Comp. So much of what we know and do today in our society is based off of that narrative, even though in some ways it is almost illogical and obselete by now. I also like what you say about a "common language," written by the myth--it keeps us all on the same page. These myths, these narratives are basically at the foundation of our society, aren't they? Especially if you want to connect them to science. It can't stand alone--exactly--it can't validate itself, and I think that's one of the most important things of all. Even though we like to think of science as the ultimate... well, ultimate whatever it is, when you really come down to it, even science has to rely on something else to stand firm.
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