A mythological perspective on the hero: A treatise on human violence

Pye, L. (2002). A mythological perspective on the hero: A treatise on human violence. (Doctoral dissertation, Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2002). UMI No. 3067636.

Human beings are primarily imagemakers and, as such, the content of our psyches consists of images. These images or pictures determine how we move in the world and, in effect, greatly influence the lens through which we view the world. We are a violent species that misuses imagery to portray us as innocent or heroic. This dissertation explores the archetype of the hero and the heroic temperament of conquest, strength, overpowering masculinity, war, and single-mindedness that essentially boils down to an anthropocentric attitude of violence. It is violence that appears in human behavior, images, and consciousness.

This dissertation is a treatise on human violence: its possible animal origins, the development of the heroic imagery that supports it, and the disastrous effects it imposes on the individual and the culture. I also explore the biological tie between the homo sapiens and the chimpanzee that are relevant to an understanding of the origins of human violence. Most animals are nowhere near as violent as humans, so why did such intensely violent behavior evolve particularly in the human line? How does the hero perpetuate violence in our society? Is warfare a uniquely human activity? Are rape, sexual abuse, and battering uniquely human behaviors?

his study employs a variety of perspectives. The mythological perspective provides a lens through which we view our world and ourselves. Depth psychology provides the tool for focusing these perspectives for a deeper understanding of human behavior. Archetypal and evolutionary psychology provides the viewfinders which we can use to see through the heroic temperament.

This hermeneutical study is accompanied by a screenplay, “Quest for the Grail,” based on the epic by Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, which offers imaginative paths for development away from violence.

With this work I hope to widen perspectives and present ideas that may assist us in musing over our most puzzling questions. Can we, as humans, develop with sufficient consciousness to become a non-violent species? Can we move out of the perpetual trap of violence, if we continue to emulate the hero?