The power of Consciousness may be constituted of many light bulbs but such a power transcends these material empirical things which of course in a sense explain the origin of the light. Campbells mythological explanations do not necessarily contradict the metaphysical accounts of Aristotle and Kant which leave the possibility of a mythology within the bounds of reason open. The Philosophical accounts of the many powers of aesthetic and cognitive processes which arise as vicissitudes of Consciousness may contain powerful arguments against mythological accounts relying on one power such as the imagination.

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Oriental Art is differently structured to Western Occidental Art whose condition features a self- sufficient independent object intentionally created for an aesthetic purpose which may have a moral message. The Art of Yoga is an instinctively grounded activity in which it is the imagination that plays the leading role in the activity. In contrast to Western Art whose focus is on the external world of self-sufficient independent objects that have an inter-sensory character.

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Eastern Religions embrace a time span of millions of years whilst our Western Bible spans thousands of years and contains a scientifically proven inadequate account of the beginning of our world. Our symbols have lost their "affect value", Campbell claims. Our Western Humanism however would dismiss both irrational elements of our own religion as well as in Oriental religions, claiming that only Religion within the bounds of reason belongs to the examined life

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Eastern Mythologies and Religions extend over enormous spans of time and a human life is but a blink of an eye in such a context. Campbell claims that the Western focus on individual freedom and responsibility is a repugnant idea to the Eastern mind. Hindu women immolating themselves because of rigidly defined roles allocated to them by a closed society for the Western mind is equally repugnant and it was the discipline of Philosophy that provided us with the first systematic arguments against miracle and superstitious behaviour

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The Decline of the West is the theme for this essay and Campbell refers to a loss of form which was present in Athens but not in the larger social entities such as Rome, New York, London, and Paris. Freuds myth of the "Band of Brothers" is part of his conjectural history of the evolution of the civilising process and points to the taboo/law of equality. 1914 is the year Campbell believes the process of decline began but there is evidence that the process of decline began much earlier. Universities and their ceremonial rituals are not considered by Campbell.

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The discipline of Psychology is "trans-scientific" which might account for the "conceptual confusion" in the subject that Wittgenstein pointed to. In 1870 research in accordance with the definition "The Science of Consciousness" followed a reductionist program that truncated the broader concerns of Psychology. Sensations, feelings and behaviour replaced wider concerns for the idea of Psuché (forms of life)

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Science has a metaphysical (Philosophical) foundation which Campbell fails to recognise, preferring to focus instead of certain forms of technology not connected to the weapons of mass destruction the scientists have produced to solve essentially political problems. Freuds work and the History of Philosophy and Psychology are also marginalised by Campbells account

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Deciding to forget a traumatic experience involving violence such as the establishment of Athens might be a kind of sublimation of ones own anger at oneself. Such an act may have a cathartic aspect and as such be the last good act of a chain of evil consequences. The Historian, however, has a duty to remember that violence and be as accurate as they can be about the relevant events and their causes. The Angel of History bears witness to the accumulating faults of man with some trepidation.

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Delphic Podcast