These examples illustrate how an interesting story may lead to a topic.
Mythology in Art
The phoenix is a miraculous bird that is fabled to live for 500
years, be consumed in fire, and rise in youthful freshness from
its own ashes. Hence, it is often a symbol of immortality. It
has been widely represented in works of art in different parts
of the world for centuries. In the collection of The Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City, there are many artworks that feature
phoenixes. A Turkish sword called a Yatagan (circa 1525-30) depicts
combat between a dragon and a phoenix on its gold encrusted blade.
A Japanese mouth organ called a Sho (circa 1615-1716) features
tubes that are arranged symbolically in the form of folded phoenix
wings. In contemporary literature, J.K. Rowling’s Harry
Potter owns a wand that draws its power from the phoenix feather
it contains.
Thinking Questions: What other mythological characters appear in various
art forms? Why are some mythological ideals depicted more often
than others? Why might a particular myth become popular in art
in a given time period? What is the significance of translating
a myth from one art form, such as literature, to another, such
as a knife blade? What is the role of mythological motifs in contemporary
society – are they merely decorative or are they meaningful?
Other Possible Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Social
Sciences & Culture, Books & Literature
Philosophy In Action
Literally, philosophy is the love of wisdom. In practical terms,
it is the science that investigates the facts and principles of
reality and of human nature and conduct. The Society for Philosophical
Inquiry (SPI) is a nonprofit organization devoted to supporting
philosophical inquiries in everyday life. Its aim is to create
"democratic communities of philosophical inquiry", and
the SPI provides free resources for those interested in starting
their own Philosopher’s Clubs. Organized philosophical gatherings
take place all over the world and go by many names, such as Socrates
Cafes and Talk-and-Walks. The clubs often bring diverse groups
of people together in venues like parks, coffee houses, plazas,
schools, and even prisons. Many of these groups post their discussions
on websites, inviting others to join in the discourse.
Thinking Questions: What important real world problems deserve philosophical
inquiry? What drives humanity to ponder seemingly unanswerable
questions about ethics, aesthetics and philosophical principles?
What role should philosophy play in society, medicine, the development
of new technology, and education?
Other Possible Categories: Arts &
Entertainment, Social Sciences & Culture
Recurring Mythology Themes
In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces,
Joseph Campbell suggests that there is a certain type of myth
called a vision quest, which has essentially the same form in
every mythology. The hero leaves his or her own world and goes
out a distance, or into a depth, or up to a height. There he discovers
what was missing in his consciousness in the world he formerly
inhabited. Then comes the problem of choosing whether to stay
in this new place and let go of the former world, or return to
the social while trying to hold onto the vision. One example is
that of Telemachus, the son of the Greek hero Odysseus, who sets
out on a long and difficult journey to find his father and bring
him home. Another is that of the Sumerian sky goddess, Inanna,
who descends into the underworld and undergoes death to bring
her beloved back to life.
Another story that appears in essentially the same form in a
variety of different cultures is that of a kind but persecuted
heroine who suffers at the hands of her step family after the
death of her mother. Her father is either absent or neglectful,
depending on the version. The heroine has a magical guardian—often
a representative of her dead mother—who helps her triumph
over her persecutors. Most versions include an epiphany sparked
by an article of clothing—usually a shoe or a ring—that
causes the heroine to be recognized for her true worth and rewarded
with marriage to a handsome prince or other high official. This
seemingly universal heroine is known as Cinderella in English,
Yeh-Shen in Chinese, Zezolla in Italian, Katie Woodencloak in
Norwegian, Liisa in Finnish, Rashin-Coatie in Scottish, Tam in
Vietnamese, Aschenputtel in German, and Vasilisa in Russian. In
all, there are more than 3,000 recorded instances of this archetypal
story.
Thinking Questions: What other character commonalities exist between
different cultures? What do these recurring themes and characters
tell us about ourselves? Do you think a theme originates in one
place and spreads? Or, do you think the same theme emerged independently
in many societies? What psychological or societal purposes might
these stories serve?
Other Possible Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Social
Sciences & Culture, Books & Literature
Citations:
- Hubbard, Judy. De Anza College. Telephone
Interview. 30 July 2003.
- Encyclopedia Mythica. Ed. M.F. Lindemans.
7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.pantheon.org/
mythica.html>.
- “Four Dragon.” Tales of Wonder. Ed. Richard Darsie. 7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/4drag.html>.
- Guardado, Katherine, and David Shindle. Quetzalcoatl:
The Man, The Myth, The Legend. 30 Jan. 1999. 7 Aug. 2003
<http://weber.ucsd.edu/
~anthclub/quetzalcoatl/quetzal.htm>.
- Rubin, Norman A. “Ghosts, Demons and Spirits in Japanese
Lore.” Asianart.com. Ed. Ian Alsop. 26 June 2000.
7 Aug. 2003 <http://www.asianart.com/articles/rubin/>.
- Tekelü, Ahmed. Yagatan. ca.
1525–30. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
- Sho (Mouth Organ). 1615-1716.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003.
- Phillips, Christopher. Socrates Café:
A Fresh Taste of Philosophy. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
New York. 2001.
- Moore, Teresa. “Socrates' Children
A volunteer teaches kids philosophy—and how to listen
to one another.” San Francisco Chronicle. 22 Jan. 1999.
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/
1999/01/22/MN18636.DTL>.
- Behe, Regis. “Socrates Cafes help people
to see other viewpoints.” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 1
May 2005. <http://pittsburghlive.com/x/
tribune-review/entertainment/books/s_329460.html>.
- Home page. The Society for Philosophical
Inquiry. 2002 – 2003. <http://www.philosopher.org/>.
- Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary,
G. & C. Merriam Co., publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts,
U.S.A., 1961.
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