Toward a theory of myth

Bibliographic Data

ID8975080
AuthorsJon Mills (0000-0003-3673-0884, Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology Adelphi University Garden City New York USA, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume50
Issue4
Pages410-424
Publication date2020-08-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Theory of Social Behaviour (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8308 • E-ISSN: 1468-5914
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jtsb.12249
OpenAlexW3049661528
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited24

Why do we need a theory of myth? Because no systematic theory exists, let alone a consensus. What I am particularly interested in addressing are not specific theories of myth, or specific myths themselves, but rather what constitutes a good theory. In particular, throughout our investigation I hope to illuminate what a proper theory of myth would be expected to offer in terms of its descriptive and explanatory power, coherency, generality, meaningfulness, and functional utility. Here I offer a theoretic typology of myth by exploring the origin, signification, symbolic structure, and essence of myth in terms of its source, force, form, object, and teleology derived from archaic ontology. Through my analysis of an explanandum and an explanans , I argue that both interpretation and explanation are acts of explication that signify the ontological significance, truth, and psychic reality of myth in both individuals and social collectives

Epistemology · Explanatory power · Explication · Generality · Interpretation (philosophy · Linguistics · Mythology · Object (grammar · Psychic · Sociology · Teleology · Typology · Hermeneutics and Narrative Identity · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Philosophy · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications