Myths and Politics

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For many years, the idea of an era based on science and technique development has been accepted, it has nothing to do with the myths. But, in real life is not true and the “dark” forces which were expelled on behalf of reason and science return frequently to be an integral part of politics. In fact, the contemporary world is saturated with myths and symbols, although they are not named by their names because generally only see other people’s myths and of other times.

 

In the present politics science the concept of political myth emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, but still remains the tendency to be considered as pathological or abnormal phenomenon of the societies and be rejected as political analysis. However, sociology and social psychology have proved the importance of symbolic elements in training and understanding the social reality. Meanwhile the cultural anthropology has made the myth a central issue in the study of the culture and the deep psychology has exceeded the dichotomy between rationalism and irrationalism. Thus, the myth has emerged as an essential analytical concept in the study of politics in order to reintroduce the symbolic dimension into its essence and its explanation.

 

All modern Western cultures have rationalist tradition and attempt to organize the societies according their own interpretation of their paradigms consequently their vision is usually partial. Since the institutionalized function is not entrusted to myth as occurred in traditional societies, but is entrusted to rational thought consequently arise a rupture in the necessary continuity between the motivations and aware acts and its unaware motivations, in order that the rational impulse turns into disturbance factor and not into order element, moving away from realism which achieved remains adhered and rejected the myth. But it is fundamental to understand that myth is not unreal, but represents other dimension of the reality that should not be refused but recognized and contextualized.

 

Therefore political myths are an expression of internal and unaware conflicts of all social groups that arising, specially, in times of crisis and it has great importance to analyze the conflict situations which is experienced from two perspectives at the same time: rational and collective mind. In the modern sociology is talked about the demystification of great narrations, of main elements that generate them, of interpersonal relationships, of interpersonal relationships of their main actors, etc. But actually is trying to transform the myths without destroying them, since the myth will remain in the human society forever, though we can only recognize it in the other countries, but rarely in the nation itself.

 

I present this analyze of the influence of the myths on current politics due to the contemporary Western world lives, unaware, or not wanting to recognize it, within the parliamentary democracy myth which has lasted more than two hundred years since it was invented by French at the end of 18th century, even it cannot accept that myth is living its last years, since that bloody damages caused by its international wars and the feedback of the capital system where it is supported seems come to its end. Just a couple decades ago, a new worldwide financial core has been created led by China and it seems that a new monetary system will be established in which a virtual currency or payment through financial instruments will be based where physical currency disappears, therefore the essential foundation of the economic and financial structure of West soon disappear.

 

There is no doubt that mythological support from Russia and Islam are alive with the financial support of clever and messianic leaders as in the case of Putin and Salman, new king of Arabia Saudi. Only the Western myth of parliamentary democracy it seems will survive a few more years, but there is no denying that sooner or later they will disappear, taking with them their political, financial and religious structures. Only China and the emerging nations such as India, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Australia, it seems will take the helm of the human civilization in the next years with hybrid and very complex political models, of which residues isolated from their national or regional myths hardly remain.

 

The unknown events occurring now with the Islamists emigrated to Western nations and with those who are out of control in North Africa and Middle East, additionally the regional problems caused by Russia in neighboring countries and Europe are signals of an apocalyptic process of the oldest myths that remain alive. Because they always appear in crisis periods in the societies’ life and thought. They cannot silence and raising always called by recurrent crises and extreme situations faced by human being.

 

Somehow, it expresses a sense of limit and transit from one situation to another. From sociological point of view, the myth is a phenomenon related to social change processes. Taking into account in the works of political analysis it allows access to imaginary group and detect, not only what it has experienced, but how it has experienced in a particular situation. Incorporating the political myth to rational analysis of a specific situation it means accept an ambiguity and uncertainty logic for the sake of achieve a greater realism, because the myth is a normal integral element of all social and political situation.

 

Addendum: Nevertheless the current international myths fair generates a certain level of confusion and uncertainty for average human being, the global events are less violent every day and everything points to the fact that new digital age will be considerably less lethal than we have experienced since the end of 18th century.