The Power of Myth

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers, published in 1988, is a nonfiction companion to a six-episode PBS documentary series by the same name. The main text of the book is a transcript of an extensive conversation between comparative mythology expert Joseph Campbell and journalist Bill Moyers. Using mythological stories, psychoanalytic theories, and personal anecdotes, Campbell and Moyers examine how world mythologies illuminate the mysteries of human life through shared symbols as well as the usefulness of myths in the modern world. Published near the end of Campbell’s life, The Power of Myth and its companion documentary sparked a resurgence of interest in his work in comparative mythology. This guide follows the Anchor Books first-edition paperback published in July 1991.

Summary

The book divides Campbell and Moyers’s conversation into eight chapters that each have a central theme. The men begin by discussing how myth and ritual have been lost in the modern era, leaving the American cultural landscape full of apathy, superficiality, and violence. Using Star Wars and a letter attributed to Chief Seattle as examples, they argue that new myths for the modern era will have to view humanity through a global and ecological lens.