Competition

Philosophy, Religion & Mythology

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.