Guiding a Person Through Life: Mythology's Fourth Function |

Joseph Campbell

Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. Campbell’s most well-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth.

Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell’s theories have been applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. His philosophy has been summarized by his own often repeated phrase: “Follow your bliss.”[6] He gained recognition in Hollywood when George Lucas credited Campbell’s work as influencing his Star Wars saga.[7]

Campbell’s approach to folklore topics such as myth and his influence on popular culture has been the subject of criticism, including from folklorists, academics in folklore studies.

See author's posts

Related Stories

Misinterpreting Our Mythological Heritage

Mythological Symbols: Their Origin and Purpose

The Impact of Space: Age Imagery

Joseph Campbell

You may have missed

Meeting ‘Hyde’

Embrace Of Extremism Grows Stronger In GOP

Is Authoritarianism Here To Stay?

Voting Rights: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver