Mythos and Logos Term Paper

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mythos and logos?

The most direct linguistic renderings of 'mythos' and 'logos' into English would be that of 'myth' and 'logic.' In our current conceptualization of faith, there is often a distinction between these different ways of knowing. It is commonly expressed in the public discourse that faith and science are fundamentally bifurcated. Another way of conceptualizing the notion of 'mythos' and 'logos' is the difference between 'being' and 'thinking.' To be living in mythological time is to be living and being in the present. There is a unity of body and mind, rather than a division. Mythos is also seen as ritual time, in which the past is reenacted and made present. On a very literal level, logos means a 'laying out' of something, implying a certain degree of rational order that is inherent in the universe that can be observed provided the individual regards the world with enough scrutiny. Mythos gives us no such reassurance, suggesting that other ways of apprehending the world around us are necessary to understand the workings of the cosmos.

For example, in a religious ritual of symbolism like the blowing of the shofar or the Christian Mass, the ancient history of the faith is taken into the present through religious reenactment. A myth is something that cannot be pinned down to a historical date. A myth is something that exists in 'all time' rather than at one time. It could also be argued that art and literature are directly connected to mythos. One of the greatest compliments one can give to any work of fiction, or any rendering of an artistic subject is that it is timeless in nature. A great film like Casablanca, a great painting like the Mona Lisa, or a great work like Shakespeare's Hamlet has a life beyond the century that gave birth to these creations and can be reinterpreted.

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The notion of 'archetypes' reflects a mythos-driven conceptualization of the world.

In contrast, logos is something which is highly linear and definitive in the manner in which it is conceptualized. The traditions of analytic philosophy and science spring from the concept of logos. Logos demands a clear definition of the phenomenon that is being described in a manner that is distilled of pure emotions. What is stated from a logical perspective must be proven. A historical event takes place at a specific time and place, unlike a myth. Of course, when using deductive logic, to some degree, there is a notion of a principle that can stand 'for all time' because of the manner in which it is proven, like a geometric proof. But unlike mythos, this proof is not based in emotion, but is instead based in rationality. And what is rationally proven can also be disproven, in contrast to the truths established by mythos. A scientific law can always be invalidated with exceptions. But one of the difficulties of arguing in terms of beliefs that are rooted in mythos is that mythological beliefs are not based upon logic, but based upon intuition, custom, and personal experience. It is very difficult to 'unthink' ones' self from a belief grounded in mythos.

Of course, in our daily lives, most people harbor beliefs based in a mix of logic and emotionalism. Although 'primitive man' is often seen as living in mythos-driven time, while modern man….....

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