Mythology and the Decline of Western Society
Myths and legends are important. At their core, they are simple stories with archetypical characters, designed to represent the virtues and flaws of the audience. As a storytelling device, they are used to pass on knowledge and values to the young. On a grand stage, the virtues and foibles of the human condition are illustrated to demonstrate the rewards and consequences of selfless virtue and unrestrained vice.
There are a few key elements that make a good myth:
1. They feel timeless. While they can be set in any time period or location, the conflicts and people remain relatable – their struggles and ours are the same.
2. The setting, while alien, will feel consistent and fully realized. The alien elements are not questioned because in the context of the story they feel real.
3. The heroes are mortal, fallible, and have far less power and agency than the powers they oppose.
4. The heroes pass through trials; they fail, are tempted, and overcome their failure to rise above their base nature.
5. The characters are shallow, to keep the virtues and foibles at the forefront – these are allegorical stories used to illustrate good and evil – shades of grey complicate the message.
6. In overcoming evil, the hero returns with a boon. In the story, the boon may be a treasure or a restoration for the wider society, but the true boon is always knowledge – of mans potential for good or evil, and a reinforcement of the idea that perseverance and the side of right will overcome in the end.
Our modern myths were all designed with these key elements in mind – whether we’re talking about Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or George Lucas, all wanted to create a myth or fable that would appeal to the young to pass on their values to their intended
audience.
These rules of storytelling point to a fatal flaw in our entertainment today, and help explain why the west appears to be in
decline.
The Evil Empire
The end of the 70s was a tumultuous time. After Watergate, the end of the Vietnam War, and the evacuation of Saigon, faith in government and society had reached a critical low. Nations of the west questioned their own moral authority. Inflation, gas prices, and scarcity of goods had reached an all-time high, and it was reflected in the entertainment of the time. The national mood was “grim”, and “gritty.”
Does any of this sound familiar?
Into this landscape came Star Wars – a throwback to the serials of the 30’s and 40’s, that stripped away the shades of grey of modern storytelling and told a fable of pure good and unadulterated evil – a rebel cause to oppose the fascists of an oppressive government and restore faith to a society that was starved of it.
I am just old enough to have been a young boy in grade school throughout the 80s. I couldn’t grasp the
geopolitical concepts of the day, but I did know that we were engaged in an ideological conflict with the Soviet Union. In class, we would discuss nuclear fallout drills. It was highlighted in our studies that the Soviet Union was our enemy, but we had hopes that the people of the USSR could eventually be our friends. It was an age of glasnost and perestroika, with both an existential threat and hopes for the future in equal measure.
Those in my generation were fortunate enough to have living relatives who had lived through the great conflicts of the 20th century – WW1, WW2, Korea, and Vietnam. These men and women had witnessed the rise of communism and fascism in Europe and Asia, and fought its spread. Both sides of the ideological spectrum had fought these wars – left and right together in common cause.
In the 80’s, the west engaged in this ideological conflict through robust national policies – this Cold War was waged with diplomacy, economic policy, strategic partnerships with NATO members and allies, and propaganda. In this time, the west would not apologize for their values, and positioned itself as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.
When the Cold War was won, the west took its eye off the ball. Our inattention and loss of moral authority eventually led to both 9/11 and the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic
Once again, our societies in the west are questioning their own moral authority. Rather than standing for what is right, our leaders have sought “consensus” – often while issuing mandates outside the bounds of law, which they themselves refuse to follow. Our leaders divide us, using the language of past conflicts without addressing the true horrors of those ages – cheapening the sacrifices of past generations.
Their strategems line their pockets while dividing the people who give them their power.
Both the left and the right have vilified one another for the last 20 years, stoking tensions between countrymen who should recognize our common humanity and the legacy we are stewards of.
Weirdly, this is why the deconstruction of Star Wars in the sequel trilogy didn’t work.
We know instinctively as an audience that Luke Skywalker will always do the right thing. When his friends are in trouble, he will abandon his training and go to them, despite all warnings to the contrary. He is the faithful friend and defender – impetuous and reckless, but faithful and true.
By introducing “shades of grey” to try and tear down the heroes of the past and replace them with “better” heroes, the foundation of the series was damaged beyond repair.
How does this relate to today?
Every nation, creed, and people has flaws. We do not live in an ideal world – we live in a fallen one, and are subject to the human condition. We have a capacity for great good, and great evil.
No nation is wholly right and just, and no people are completely evil and irredeemable.
If the west is to regain its moral authority and oppose tyrants and despots at every turn, we must stop throwing out the baby with the bathwater – we must ask the following questions:
1. Who seeks to unite us in our common humanity?
2. Who seeks to lead through example rather than coercion?
3. Who preaches personal liberty and responsibility, and tolerates dissent?
Contrawise:
4. Who vilifies segments of the population who are inconvenient, and seeks to limit their agency?
5. Who demands obedience from those beneath them, without the consent of their constituents?
6. Who seeks to silence their opposition?
As members of the west, we need to recognize and criticize the flaws and mistakes of our nations, but we cannot take sledgehammers to our foundations because of moral failings of the past – particularly those that the living today took no part in.
The strength of our western nations is the ability to reflect on our failings and attempt to do better for the future.
If the conflicts of today and the moral lessons of our past help us to regain perspective on the truly important things, perhaps the west can yet regain her moral high ground – only then can new legends be born and hope and confidence be restored to our fraught and wayward nations.
