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Eryn Powell
Philosophy of Religion
Dr. Stork
7 April 2014
Mythology Becomes Philosophy
For thousands of years, humans have walked the philosophers journey in pondering
and piecing together the truths of reality and existence while burning through the lies and
falsehoods of rhetoric and myth. However, long before the term Philosophy or Logic were
known, there was the wisdom from myth and legend that were humanities compass for
explaining everything from the stars and cosmos to personal tragedy and the fall harvest. In the
transition between ideologies the myth and story managed to hold influence within the
philosophies that emerged from the founding thinkers, such as Plato, who still influence modern
philosophers and thinkers who shape our view of the universe around humanity. To say that this
idea is complicated is a simple way of saying: mythology and philosophy are fundamentally
opposite, that myth is at all times untrue and philosophy is the search for the absolute truth. It is
important to argue. for the sake of true understanding behind our views of philosophy, that the
use of mythology acts as an integral tool of logic within Platos philosophical teachings of
religion that serves to enlighten the masses in a way that nothing else can even though they are
ideologically opposed.
The search for truth and longing for more than stories to tell and explain this life and the
next still exist today within anyone who has ever looked for a reason within religion, looked to
explain ones thoughts and reactions, or anyone who has ever asked why? to a question that
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seemingly has no answer. However, the intertwining between myth and wisdom allows a teacher
can connect to a student through a more artistic and effective [method] via the relevant and
unique use of myths (Wang 283). It is this balancing act that brings obscure ideas into focus to
the humans natural affinity towards storytelling that is one of many characteristics helps make
humanity more that an animalistic society; that, however, is an argument for another time. What
can be said, is based on the words themselves.
In order to make any valid argument within this essay the idea of myth must in itself be
clarified. The term in the view of the Encyclopedia Britannica is considered a symbolic
narrative not looking at mythology as stories and makes them specific to a given religion
(Smith). Though the term Symbolic narrative is an accurate denotative definition, this is a
limited and difficult definition to work with when dealing with the more conceptual ideas in a
broadened sense within philosophy. In most cases honing in on a definition allows a more ridged
structure to form further ideas; however, the approach that this argument will require is instead
that of a more flexible and fluid in order to move forward. In this the quotation that follows is a
more apt definition to the purpose as Albion Roy King stated:
The word myth commonly means simply a primitive story which is not true
history. Usually it implies something fantastic which cannot be related to fact. We have
applied the word freely to the literature of pagan and oriental religions which have been
super- seded by the [modern] revelation. It is even common to use the word in simple
rejection of current beliefs which someone else holds [] I shall not presume to define
myth, but the essential thing about it is that it embodies the beliefs of a people concerning
real causes and values. If we want to know what ancient Greeks believed about these
things we find it in their mythology, not in their history. (King 170).
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In this the word myth, being undefined, carries with it a more pliable existence.
It is this more fluid concept of myth that allowed the ancient Greek philosophers such
a Plato to work fundamental ideas into thematic features of [works like] Phaedo and they
permeate from the beginning to end for a much more potent effect (Zhu 454). Philosophy is in
essence the pursuit of truth and knowledge, whereas myth is inherently untrue, causes a conflict
within the whole concept of Platos use of mythology to explain his philosophical in site. The
dialog within Platos works offers a given ability to allow different arguments that Plato then
refutes with philosophical myths, an oxymoron like term that makes Platos rebuttal to any
question more easily understood by his pupils and a more solid foundation: It is much more
difficult to argue against a simple idea than a complex argument that allows for more loopholes
and disagreement. In Platos Phaedo one such example lies in Socrates use of analogy in
describing the relationship between the Body and Soul in relation to a musical instrument that
does cause argument among his company.
The analogy is an extension of myth much like the allegory that allows a symbolic
narrative to bring an understanding that is otherwise unreachable from a beginning stand point.
As Socrates goes on to debate with Simmias and Cebes the soul and the afterlife as a whole
comes to the forefront and though a soul is nothing like a musical instrument the truth in the
symbolism holds philosophical value. Plato uses Myth and its aspects of analogy and allegory as
an understanding of the universe that is inherently religious through the Greek ideals that place
the gods above all. Margaret D. Zulick found that the author of How Philosophy saved Myth
traces the development of allegory as a means of interpretation of myth from its attested
beginnings in the sixth century B.C.E. to the Renaissance and gathers that the rift between
mythic and philosophical authority was recovered through the creation of Theology (301-2).
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Even through a keen eye it is hard to process if it is logical to assume that a philosophy of any
kind let alone a religious philosophy can be combined with a seemingly illogical non-truth and
be made stronger and in fact more valid.
Even as the question of mythology bringing validity to a truth based philosophy the
question of what makes myth untrue. Truth and lies are known to be opposite, but not mutually
exclusive when it comes to whether one or the other is good or bad. Stories that are lies do not
make stories bad or evil, or in any way change or challenge the philosophers search for truth. It
makes the reason behind myth less questionable when the truth behind the lie is reviled as stated
by Rui Zhu when he said the following:
With regard to Socrates' charge that the poets are liars, we must bear two things in
mind. First, lying does not carry the same stigma in Socratic ethics as it does in
Christian morals. Socrates observes that paideia as a matter of fact always starts with
tales of falsehood such as children's fables (The Republic 377a). According to him, the
ruler of a city must sometimes hide the truth from the malleable youth and tell noble lies
for the benefit of the state (378a, 389c). What can be bad about lies is not because all
lies are bad but because some lies are badly told. Bad lies are bad because they have bad
social consequences (463).
It is more that reasonable to state that a poetic stance is the essence of Greek style and education
in the time of Plato such as the myth of Er.
Within Platos work The Republic he has a segment that focuses on the myth of Er.
According to the myth Er was a soldier who died in battle and came back to life twelve days later
on his funeral pyre. This leads Plato to explore the concept of the soul. The myth itself is not
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truth or in any way true to human existence, but the concept of soul that travels through this life
and the next. The storytelling tradition is one of not literal truth, but a poetic truth that allows for
this balance between truth and lie. When it comes to Platos myths; the poetic wisdom is
peculiar of Platos philosophizing in practice. It features not just a suitable use of poetry for
educational and political objectives, but a philosophical rewriting of myths, allegories and fables
alike, bringing an aspect to the philosophy that makes a greater purpose for a philosopher to use
in complex ideology such a religion.
From a religious prospective, God (the gods) is ineffable but myth makes his (their)
power and influence on the world tangible, in a way that is the beginning of true understanding.
It is the combination of myth and philosophy that creates the stepping stones that Plato founded
his ideology on. Within the boundaries of the human experience it is the myth that has the
fundamental function of making philosophy assessable to a larger number of potential thinkers
and allowing philosophy to reveal the truth behind the untruthful myth. As religion goes, all have
stories that can be considered myth, but are fundamental to the Faith. Faith can be considered the
basis of religion, faith that what one believes is the truth and not a myth; when it is myth and
symbolic narrative that is the foundation for ones faith.
To make a judgment that myth, philosophy, or religion are separate in every aspect or in
any way for that matter is too complex to argue in this essay; however, the connection is clear.
Reason and logic can only be found after a slight shift from myth. Only a slight shift because
myth never really leaves logic. There is a reason that after so many years modern philosophers
still look back and ponder his ideology and wisdom, even though his wisdom is laced with myth
like no other.

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Works Cited
King, Albion Roy. "Biblical Mythology in the Teaching of Religion." Journal of the American
---- Academy of Religion XXI.3 (1953): 170-73. Print.
Smith, Jonathan Z. "Myth." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
---------------07 Apr. 2014.
Wang, Keping. "Platos Poetic Wisdom in the Myth of Er." Frontiers of Philosophy in China 4.2
---------------(2009): 282-93. Print.
Zhu, Rui. "Myth and Philosophy: From a Problem in Phaedo." Journal of the American -----------
---------------Academy of Religion 73.2 (2005): 453-73. Print.