Mythology: Individualism vrs Collectivism

Introduction to Mythology:
Mythology (including religious stories) is important for all new nations to embrace. Whether or not the myths are fact or fiction, the stories themselves bring together large groups of people who have never met each other.

As an example of the importance of mythology, I will examine the Roman Empire. The very establishment of Rome is cluttered with mythology. The mythology begins in the Trojan War where Aeneas, a Trojan, was told by a sibyl that his descendants would found Rome. According to mythology, Aeneas' descendants, Romulus and Remus founded Rome three-hundred years later.

In addition to the nation founding myths, the Romans continued to add more mythological heros to their mythology. As Rome began to envelop Northern Africa, a new hero arose -- Hannibal. Hannibal hailed from Carthage and was a military genius who on numerous occasions soundly defeated the Romans. His achievements were celebrated not only on the Carthaginian side, but the Roman side as well. Even during Hannibal's life time Romans idealized him in the form of statues. By including mythological heros from nations that would soon be added to the Roman empire allows the Romans and the Natives to share a common belief/myth.

The Romans weren't the only people in history to use mythology to bring together large groups of people. The United States created its own mythology as well. In the US, the Wild West was our mythological time period. People like: Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and my all time favorite, Billy the Kid have all become legends and symbols of America. However today many of these figures are unknown to the vast majority of Americans.

Joseph Campbell:
Joseph Campbell was the foremost scholar in mythology right up until his death in 1987. Campbell's most famous work was The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949); in the book, Campbell spent the majority of the time discussing the journey of the hero which can be easily visualize on this website, starting from the top and moving counterclockwise. The book itself inspired George Lucas who took Campbell's idea of the hero and applied it to his masterpiece, Star Wars.

Individualism:
In the epilogue of The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) by Joseph Campbell, he discussed the purpose of myths.

"In his life form the individual is necessarily only a fraction and distortion of the total image of man. He is limited either as male or as female; at any given period of his life he is again limited as child, youth, mature adult, or ancient; furthermore, in his life-role he is necessarily specialized as craftsman, tradesman, servant, or thief, priest, leader, wife, nun, or harlot; he cannot be all. Hence, the totality – the fullness of man – is not in the separate member, but in the body of the society as a whole; the individual can be only an organ. From his group he has derived his techniques of life, the language in which he thinks, the ideas on which he thrives; through the past of that society descended the genes that built his body. If he presumes to cut himself off, either in deed or in thought and feeling, he only breaks connection with the sources of his existence." Pages: 382-383

Campbell argues that the idea of an individual is only a very small part of a much larger community. One person cannot survive without the rest of the community to support him or her. Adopting an individualist attitude of "I don't need anyone" is nearly the same as denying yourself your own existence.

The basis of mythology is, as I said earlier, to bring together a community and the individualist lifestyle adopted by many people today can only end in disaster. Without a common belief, humanity will continue to kill, maim and starve each other because they have no emotional stock in the lives of anyone except themselves.

Clearly I am not implying there needs to be one religion to rule them all; but humans need to find a person or group of people whose actions can be turned into legend and teach everyone a basis of principles that will curb worldwide suffering.

Jesus, for example, did just that. He was able to bring together people of all different faiths, nationalities and races to share a belief in peace and an egalitarian society. Unfortunately, his message was corrupted by reactionary church leaders and can no longer satisfy the needs of humanity and a new figure must arise and replace the old.

Collectivism:
Mythology and collectivism both intend to bring together a community to work towards a common goal as opposed to everyone working against each for their own self-centered profit.

The Soviet Union clearly showed that collectivization without a mythology (ie. common belief) cannot happen. In the 1930s, collectivization met more resistance than expected and it wasn't until after World War II did the Soviet Union's mythology begin to show itself. The "Great Patriotic War" made heros out of every soldier who fought against Nazi Germany and gave the Soviets something to be proud of. The emergence of these heros, however, came 40 years after the establishment of the new country and there was too much turmoil to curb. The individualists and traditionalists had overrun the government and sent the Soviet Union in a downward spiral to a more individualist lifestyle.

Collectivization in Cuba had a far different situation. The story of how Fidel Castro started a revolution with merely a dozen of his comrades and won against Batista's police state was ripe for legendary status. Che Guevara would be the figure head of this mythology and is celebrated by millions, perhaps a billion, of people worldwide as a hero of the people.

In addition to these two highly celebrated heros of the Cuban Revolution, there was the David and Goliath struggle between Cuba and the United States. The Bay of Pigs showed the dedication and might of the small island when they repelled the US trained and equipped Cuban exiles. The David and Goliath struggle can be seen even more clear during the Cuban Missile Crisis where the Cuban people stood up against US interventionist policies by daring to level the playing field by equipping the nation with a defensive nuclear weapon.

Cuba remains as one of the only collectivist survivors of the Cold War and for good reason. They were able to maintain the ideals that brought them to revolution because they didn't need to conceded to opposition interested in their own personal gain. As much as the media will try to portray the Cuban people as hating their government, this just isn't the case. The Cuban people have showed their allegiance to the revolution, its mythology and collectivization by not rising up en mass against the government and its policies.

Conclusion:
Individualism is unnatural and opposed to the progression of humankind. Working against eachother will accomplish nothing but war and starvation whereas collectivism would allow for the greater advancement of the human race.