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Running Head: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 1

Biographical Sketch: Joseph Campbell

Kayla Westra

Minnesota State University - Mankato

April 9, 2015


Introduction: Relevance to Education

Joseph Campbell may not be one of the most common names in all of educational

history, but in the 20th century, Campbell’s work has profoundly influenced the liberal

arts, religion, and popular culture. Campbell’s formation of the concept of monomyth

and his additional research on the hero’s journey, which is detailed in his book, The

Hero with a Thousand Faces,” influenced mythology, religion, and film making in the

twentieth century. The Hero with a Thousand Faces describes the journey of the hero,

and details the adventures and transformations of the protagonist in most myths, books,

and modern film. This book has become the modern template for movies and novels,

and Campbell’s work has been recognized by George Lucas as having a profound

influence on his Star Wars movies. Additionally, Campbell’s discoveries of monomyth

have impacted religion and the study of cosmology, in addition to a consideration of

self-help as a means of “finding your bliss,” a concept that Campbell promoted through

the later stages of his career. Campbell’s work continues to influence modern authors,

students, and theologians.

Historical Context: The Young Campbell

Joseph Campbell was born in White Plains, New York, in 1904, the son of Irish

Catholic parents (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). He was an altar boy as a youth, often

referring to his religious indoctrination in interviews, including those done with Bill Moyer

(Perspectives on Myths and Sacred Texts, 2015). A life-altering event occurred at a

young age, when “At age of nine…[Campbell] went to see Buffalo Bill’s Wild West

show” (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). After this, Campbell read all he could about

Native Americans, even starting his own “tribe.” His fascination continued and he

frequented the American Museum of Natural History, consuming everything he could


about America’s native people. This fascination is seen later in Campbell’s work,

Transformations of Myth through Time, where the title of the first chapter is “Where

People Lived Legends: American Indian Myths.” Campbell was a practicing Catholic

into his twenties, but he was greatly influenced by the rituals of the Native American as

well.

Joseph Campbell began his college studies at Dartmouth, but later transferred to

Columbia. He studied medieval literature, played in the jazz band, and was a star

runner (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). Campbell was in college during the roaring

20s, and for the first time in America, more people lived in cities than lived on farms.

This was a time of social change, of lifestyle change, and of educational change.

Joseph Campbell embodied the Renaissance man in many ways, and the time period

allowed him to experience life in ways that may not have been possible just ten years

prior. “Campbell’s own scholarship exemplified the ideals of socioeconomics since he

considered himself a generalist who read widely in many fields looking for and finding a

transcendent message” (Morong, 1994, p. 363). In 1924, before the Great Depression,

Campbell left to study in Europe, taking a steamer and meeting Jiddu Krishnamurti and

other “modernist masters” (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). Krishnamurti definitely

influenced Campbell’s thinking during this time.

“Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers

and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any

philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern

all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern

society with its violence and corruption, of the individual’s search


for security and happiness, and the need for mankind to free itself

from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow” (An overview of

Krishnamurti's life and work, 2014).

Upon his return after studying in Europe, and specifically at the University of Munich,

Campbell spent two years reading in a Walden pond-type environment near Woodstock,

New York, not especially concerned with getting a job or beginning a career. “During

the Depression, he [Campbell] lived alone in a remote and primitive cabin, and studied

and read; he believe that he was being guided by invisible hands on a predetermined

track, which enabled him to live the life that he ought to be living” (Lefkowitz, 2001, p.

433). In 1934, he began teaching in the literature department at Sarah Lawrence

College, beginning a 38 year teaching career (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). He met

his future wife at this college, modern dancer Jean Erdman, who was a member of

Martha Graham’s dance troupe.

The unemployment of the early 1930s may have had an influence on Campbell’s

decision to read for two years, delaying a career and family during that time. However,

it is not well documented if those economic influences had an impact. It would appear

that the modernist theories had more impact on his learning and life plans than the

impacts of the political landscape during this time. Campbell’s experiences at Sarah

Lawrence College, originally a woman’s college, when the liberal arts institution was

very young (founded in 1926), also impacted his focus on the individual and freedom of

expression.


Educational Experiences: Influential Study

During his study at Columbia, study abroad, and reading sabbatical, Campbell

read widely in areas of literature, philosophy, and mythology. He was influenced by

Jung, particularly in his ideas of mythology and analysis (Lefkowitz, 2001, p. 431), and

he was also heavily influenced by the psychological studies of Jung and Freud, as well

as artists such as Picasso and James Joyce. “These encounters would eventually lead

him to theorize that all myths are the creative products of the human psyche, that artists

are a culture’s mythmakers, and that mythologies are creative manifestations of

humankind’s universal need to explain psychological, social, cosmological, and spiritual

realities” (About Joseph Campbell, 2015). Jung’s ideas regarding collective

unconscious archetype were used in conjunction with Campbell’s theories on the hero’s

journey to treat adjustment disorder through fiction-based bibliotherapy (Duffy 2010).

However, unlike his mentor, Jung, Campbell “clearly aims at communicating with the

widest possible American audience” (Lefkowitz, 2001, p. 431). Campbell was also

fascinated by the world’s religions and the stories of each, from the Biblical stories of

creationism and the great flood, to the hero’s journey of Gilgamesh, to the teachings of

Buddha. Campbell sought to take the message of myths, of archetypes, of spirituality,

to the masses.

Significance: Campbell’s Writing, Teaching, and Speaking

Campbell wanted people to make connections to the stories of the past with their

lives today. “The myths, at least as Campbell tells them, perform the function of a

thinking man’s Ann Landers, since they offer the comfort that everyone everywhere has


been, is, and will go through the same experiences as ourselves” (Lefkowitz, 2001, p.

432). The idea that these stories, some thousands of years old, could be accessible to

anyone and applicable to anyone was a new concept in education. “There appears to

be much that people can experience and learn vicariously from experiencing fiction

containing elements of the hero’s quest and then use to better understand and cope

with their own lives, the world around them, and the stressors therein” (Duffy, 2010, p.

8). Though a professor of literature, Campbell was also a philosopher. In some

respects, Joseph Campbell was the Dr. Phil of his time. He was focused on human

behavior, human potential, and the factors that impact a person’s life, his or her story.

He was a consummate storyteller and spoke often about the empowerment of the

individual. “Campbell is a good link between socioeconomics and mythology because

he was very much concerned about individual behavior, the values which directed it,

and how it interacted with society” (Morong, 1994, p. 364). Campbell became

increasingly popular through his career, but it wasn’t until Bill Moyers of PBS

interviewed Campbell in a six part series, The Power of Myth, that Campbell became

more well known in American culture. The Power of Myth “explored the universal

themes expressed in mankind’s oldest stories and examined their relevance for the

modern world” (Perspectives on Myths and Sacred Texts, 2015). This documentary

was later turned into a book with the same title, and both were released after

Campbell’s death.

The role of myth in modern life is a cultural phenomenon, and applications to

novels, to religion, to world culture, to and to film have been further explored since his

death. Campbell’s idea of monomyth, that there is only one mythology, and that world


cultures (and religions) have expanded this mythology to meet the needs of their

societies, is often difficult for monotheistic societies to understand. When one considers

the ideals of major religions, as an example, the parallels between the major religions is

more than just coincidence, according to Campbell’s theories. The prevalence of

cosmology stories in all religions, of flood stories, cannot be dismissed, if one prescribes

to Campbell’s monomyth ideas.

Campbell wrote and edited over 30 books, published dozens of articles, and

embraced audio and video as ways to share his ideas and concepts. His most popular

work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, has been revered by many as a culture

changing text. “The monomyth has also been repeatedly replicated since (as well as

before) Joseph Campbell’s articulate and spiritually insightful explication in 1949’s The

Hero with a Thousand Faces” (Palumbo, 2008, p. 413). And while Campbell was not

the first to speak of the monomyth idea, he is the one who proselytized the concept in a

time when larger audiences were available to hear him talk and see him speak about

the subject, through the media available in the latter portion of the 20 th century.

Campbell was not afraid to embrace technology as a way to talk about his ideas,

particularly about following your bliss, one of the concepts for which he is most known.

The following list includes some of Campbell’s more famous works:

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

The Masks of God (Oriental Mythology; Occidental Mythology; Creative

Mythology; Primitive Mythology)

Historical Atlas of World Mythology (published after his death)

Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine


Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor (The Collected Works of

Joseph Campbell)

Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation

The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion

Myths of Light: Eastern Metaphors of the Eternal

Myths to Live By

Campbell’s Impact on Popular Culture

Bill Moyers interviewed Joseph Campbell from 1985-7, and this became “The

Power of Myth, the PBS series that brought Campbell’s academic ideas into the

consciousness of the wider American Population” (Bancks, 2003, p. 33). This

document and subsequent book of the same name were completed shortly before the

Internet came to the masses, and once it did in the early 1990s, the materials because

even more pervasive in popular culture. “Campbell could tell a good story” (Lefkowitz,

2001, p. 429), and this charisma could be why his theories on the hero’s journey

became so popular with directors such as Steven Spielberg. Luke Skywalker listens to

his inner voice and succeeds. Darth Vader symbolizes the bureaucracy, unable to

break free from the system, which is what we all risk if we do not “follow our bliss,” in

Campbell’s terms. “Following your bliss unlocks your creative potential because you

separate from your community or system” (Morong, 1994, p. 369). Donald Palumbo’s

articles on Campbell’s influence discuss the multiple science fiction novels which follow

the hero’s journey, such as the Star Wars trilogy and the Terminator (Palumbo, The

Monomyth in Star Trek (2009): Kirk and Spock together again for the first time, 2013,

pp. 413,415). Palumbo also writes of the woman as hero, Sarah Connor in the


Terminator, using Campbell’s framework to describe the character’s journey with a

female protagonist.

Stories from early Hollywood can be shown to follow this similar journey as well.

“The Wizard of Oz follows very closely the structure of the heroic myth as defined by

Joseph Campbell” (Hudlin, 1989, p. 443). This essay outlines how the child’s story,

The Wizard of Oz, follows the hero’s journey, through each of the stages outlined by

Campbell. While Campbell did not intend for this book to be used as the “how to” guide

for writing a successful movie scripts and novels, that is what has happened to this

academic work. “For those unaware of how Campbell’s ideas came to be Hollywood

gospel,…in the early 1990s, a Disney script assessor, Christopher Vogler, released a

seven-page memo on Campbell’s thesis to the heads of the studio” (Bancks, 2003, p.

32). Vogler later wrote The Writer’s Journey, a book on how to use the hero’s journey in

writing fiction. This text has been touted for years as the one book all aspiring writers

should have in their library.

Campbell’s influence has been widespread. “Those whom he influenced

includes not only filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but also writers

like Richard Adams, Lorna Catford, Michael Ray, Carol S. Pearson, and Maureen

Murdock” (Morong, 1994, p. 364). George Lucas credits Campbell’s work with helping

him achieve his master work, Star Wars. “In 1984, at an eightieth birthday celebration

for mythologist, philosopher and scholar, Joseph Campbell, George Lucas suggested

that if not for Campbell he might still have been writing Star Wars” (Bancks, 2003, p.

32). Those who know the tenets of the hero’s journey will be unable to read a book or

watch a movie without applying Campbell’s theories. Spiderman, Hercules, Lord of the


Rings, Harry Potter, and thousands of other movies follow the journey in myriad ways,

yet all with the same basic structure of movement through various trials.

Critics

Some argue that not all great literature or excellent cinema follow the principles

of the hero’s journey, and they would be correct. Even so, the familiarity of this story,

this journey that has been chronicled for thousands of years, appeals to the masses.

There is something to be said for understanding where the story will go, and who hasn’t

felt cheated when a story took such a bizarre twist that the ending felt unsatisfying?

Some filmmakers go out of their way to make sure they are not duplicating the hero’s

journey, and for some, this can be jarring and lead to unsatisfactory experiences in the

movie theatre. Others complain that screen writers have gone too far with modifying the

hero’s journey so that it appeals more to modern audiences. Lefkowitz (2001) makes

the point that “only a hero in the twentieth century would set off on a journey with the

goal of discovering himself” (p. 432). Heroes generally work for the greater good, often

at their own mortal expense. Even so, the growth of the person through the stages of

the hero’s journey may result in personal growth as well, and Campbell may argue that

this would be a necessary component of such growth.

Others might say that this type of movement away from the archetype is needed

for societal change. Bancks argues that “For those who gripe that Campbell’s take on

Jung’s theory of archetypes is too prescriptive and results in broad, undefined

characters, this other aspect of Campbell’s writing feeds material for characters who

move beyond archetype and become living, thinking, awkward, grappling beings like us”

(2003, p. 34). Recognizing patters, archetypes, helps readers relate to characters, to


ideas, in ways that normally might escape those who are reading the text. These

patterns allow authors to bring literature, and subsequently ideas, to the masses, which

was one of Campbell’s goals.

There are those who would also discount Campbell’s ideas of following your

bliss, of finding your passion in life and doors opening for you that would not open for

others, as self-centered. Critics argue that Campbell’s influence on Catholicism, the

religion in which he was raised, has not always been positive. Dinges (1993) argues

that Campbell’s “spiritual message…is a gospel of self-help, not grace” (p. 12), which is

directly in conflict of the tenets of Christianity. It is difficult to tell if this was one of

Campbell’s goals, to move people away from Christianity in particular, as he was

heavily influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world religions. However,

Christianity did seem to be pervasive to his thoughts and writings. “In projecting

basically modern Christian values onto ancient myths, Campbell undoubtedly thought

he was acting in the best interests of both his readers and the civilizations that he

studied” (Lefkowitz, 2001, p. 434).

Leadership Attributes

Joseph Campbell’s quotes are perhaps the best

indicators of his leadership qualities. Campbell spoke of

following your bliss, of doing work which fires your passion,

and that doing so will lead to self-actualization. Many young

college students today seem to “follow the money,” to look

for careers which will provide high dollar salaries. Campbell

would see this as a recipe for life-long disaster. People who


are in careers in which they feel fulfilled, in which they feel

called, would be more successfully, by Campbell’s definition.

True leaders work to not only find their own passion, but to

help others find what they are passionate about as well.

Often, unhappy or unmotivated employees are simply in the

wrong job.

Campbell’s ideas on heroic behavior might also be

considered leadership qualities. Heroes, by Campbell’s

definition, must stop worrying about self-preservation and

seek to focus on others, on the greater good. The hero does

not necessarily have a happy ending, but the hero does put

others first, puts the society or culture first, and thereby

earns heroic status.

Campbell also believed that the individual was

responsible for his or her own life and the result of that life.

In Campbell’s ideals, no one else is to blame for

unhappiness of failures: not parents, or teachers, or

situations, or circumstances. Leaders are resilient, self-

aware, and self-actualizing, often during difficult times.

*Pictures/quotes

retrieved from Pinterest.

Conclusion

Perhaps Joseph Campbell’s greatest contribution was his focus on ancient

stories (myths), the patterns seen within these stories (hero’s journey), and how these

stories are still applicable to those in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His


theories, particularly with following your passion, have shaped how people approach

life. His concepts surrounding the hero’s journey have changed how we view stories told

in books and movies. And his ideas regarding monomyth, of the great story of

humanity, has influenced religion, liberal arts instruction, and popular culture. Morange

(1994) perhaps sums this up most succinctly: “Joseph Campbell said over and over

that all of us living on planet earth now need to identify with one group: the entire

human race, not any one racial, ethnic, or economic group. The world community is (or

needs to be) a community of heroes. Be heroic and you will help yourself and your

community while promoting the values of your community” (p. 372).


Works CitedAbout Joseph Campbell. (2015, March 2). Retrieved from Joseph Campbell Foundation:

http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php

An overview of Krishnamurti's life and work. (2014). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from J.

Krishnamurti: The official repository of the authentic teachings of J. Krishnamurti:

http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/about-krishnamurti/biography.php

Bancks, T. (2003, Spring). Beyond the hero's journey. Australian Screen Education, 33,

32-34.

Campbell, J. (1990). Transformations of myth through time. New York, New York:

Harper & Row Publishers.

Dinges, W. D. (1993, February 20). American Catholics and the Joseph Campbell

phenomenon. America, 12-19.

Duffy, J. T. (2010). A hero's journey: Re-conceptualizing adjustment disorder through

the lens of the hero's quest. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 29(4), 1-16.

Hudlin, E. W. (1989). The mythology of Oz: An interpretation. Papers on Language and

Literature, 25(4), 443-462.

Lefkowitz, M. R. (2001). The myth of Joseph Campbell. The American Scholar, 429-

434.

Morong, C. (1994, Winter). Mythology, Joseph Campbell, and the socioeconomic

conflict. Journal of Socio-Economics, 23(4), 363-373.

Palumbo, D. (2008). The monomyth in James Cameron's The Terminator: Sarah as

monomythic heroine. Journal of Popular Culture, 41(3), 413-427.


Palumbo, D. (2013). The Monomyth in Star Trek (2009): Kirk and Spock together again

for the first time. Journal of Popular Culture, 46(1), 143-171.

Perspectives on Myths and Sacred Texts. (2015, March 2). Retrieved from Bill Moyers

on Faith and Reason:

https://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/perspectives1.html

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