Joseph Campbell
Also known as Joseph John Campbell
American mythologist (1904 to 1987) who described the hero's journey.
At a glance
Main ideas
The monomyth, Follow your bliss, Four functions of myth
See all 3Criticism
Antisemitism charges, Sanskrit
See all 2Books to start with
A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, The Masks of God …
See all 4Connections
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Campbell was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and religion.
- His best-known book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), set out the monomyth, the hero's journey he found in myths worldwide.
- George Lucas credited his work as an influence on Star Wars.
- His philosophy is often summed up in his phrase "Follow your bliss".
Why it matters
- The hero's journey became a template for storytellers, from Hollywood to games, and shaped popular ideas of myth.
Key facts
- Born
- 26 Mar 1904, White Plains, New York1
- Died
- 30 Oct 1987, at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, of complications from oesophageal cancer1
- Education
- Columbia University: BA in English literature (1925) and MA in medieval literature (1927)1
- Sarah Lawrence
- Professor of literature from 1934 to 19721
- Married
- The dancer and choreographer Jean Erdman, in 19381
- Television
- The Power of Myth, interviews with Bill Moyers, aired in 19881
Main ideas
Criticism
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
-
A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake2
With Henry Morton Robinson.
-
The Hero with a Thousand Faces1
The monomyth.
-
The Masks of God1
Includes Creative Mythology, where he sets out the four functions of myth.
-
The Power of Myth1
His conversations with Bill Moyers.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.