Timely, since the world is currently having it's own existential crisis. Ernest Becker convinced me years ago that everything humans do is about either fear of or denial of death.
I remember reading Gilgamesh a few years ago, and being impressed by the fact that it didn't have a "happy" ending. I like your explanation of the ending/meaning.
I have no idea what the differences are in the editions. The oldest version doesn't have the prologue that I mentioned. So the one you read may not have been as satisfying as the one I read. The idea I got from it was that Gilgamesh started off as a spoiled king, but matured and returned a changed person. I'll probably look at some different editions. It definitely bears rereading.
This article put me on a thought and discovery train, starting with the seminal place of myths in the human experience: Myths to live by, to educate, and to share our universal conditions. I immediately turned to Joseph Campbell and comparative mythology, and then to his influences, including Jiddu Krishnamurti and his concept of "choiceless awareness," existential therapy, and Carl Jung. Additionally, I explored "Four Worlds" by Emmy van Deuzen. Thank you, Robert, for stoking my philosophical locomotive.
Very cool. There was a lot of thought-provoking work done on myth and psychology by the first-, second-, and third-generation Jungians. All that work cross-pollinated with work being done in related fields, like anthropology and linguistics. Then, the work of these scholars often inspired artists. So many interconnections! Any one that you dig into helps to make sense of the others. I hope you'll share some thoughts about what you discover.
Timely, since the world is currently having it's own existential crisis. Ernest Becker convinced me years ago that everything humans do is about either fear of or denial of death.
What brilliant person suggested you read Becker?
I could spit on him from here….no, wait.
Hi Robert,
I remember reading Gilgamesh a few years ago, and being impressed by the fact that it didn't have a "happy" ending. I like your explanation of the ending/meaning.
I have no idea what the differences are in the editions. The oldest version doesn't have the prologue that I mentioned. So the one you read may not have been as satisfying as the one I read. The idea I got from it was that Gilgamesh started off as a spoiled king, but matured and returned a changed person. I'll probably look at some different editions. It definitely bears rereading.
This article put me on a thought and discovery train, starting with the seminal place of myths in the human experience: Myths to live by, to educate, and to share our universal conditions. I immediately turned to Joseph Campbell and comparative mythology, and then to his influences, including Jiddu Krishnamurti and his concept of "choiceless awareness," existential therapy, and Carl Jung. Additionally, I explored "Four Worlds" by Emmy van Deuzen. Thank you, Robert, for stoking my philosophical locomotive.
Very cool. There was a lot of thought-provoking work done on myth and psychology by the first-, second-, and third-generation Jungians. All that work cross-pollinated with work being done in related fields, like anthropology and linguistics. Then, the work of these scholars often inspired artists. So many interconnections! Any one that you dig into helps to make sense of the others. I hope you'll share some thoughts about what you discover.