The Power of Myth

The Introduction, written by Bill Moyers, laments the death of Joseph Campbell in 1987—one year before the publication of the book—and celebrates his life. Moyers tells of Campbell’s ability to see mythological structures in anything from a movie like Star Wars to a crowd on a street in New York. Moyers surveys the development of mythology through human history, hinting at topics and themes that the book will discuss. Moyers applauds Campbell’s knack for storytelling and his willingness to help others discover the joys of life through engagement with myth.

The first chapter presents the beginning of their conversation, where Moyers and Campbell survey the function of myth, noting that myth and ritual have been lost in the modern era because of our emphasis on economic success over spiritual awareness. As an example, they discuss the loss of the spirituality surrounding the marriage ritual, which may be one reason many modern relationships fail. They argue that without a stable body of mythology, young people are left to work out the unknowns of the universe on their own. Campbell and Moyers define the two main functions of myth as navigating the stages of life and finding clues to the potentialities of human life.