Campbell, Joseph. The Impact of Science on Myth. Myths to Live By. 1972.

New York:
Penguin, 1993. 3-20.
In his essay The Impact of Science on Myth, Campbell begins by establishing the
mythological nature of the accounts of the Bible and other similarly celebrated religious
texts, and asserts that current scientific knowledge shatters the belief that such accounts
are literal descriptions of past events. Campbell continues, however, to criticize those in
the scientific world who believe that, once enough science is established to completely
dispel myth, people will be willingly enlightened and all that has to do with myth will
fade away. Campbell argues that the moral structure provided by myth constitutes
relevance and importance to the inward life of people, and that chaos will ensue in the
absence of this structure. His proposition, consequently, is that we allow our minds to
remain eager to grow and learn things anew instead of clinging to a rigid, canonized
truth, be it religious or scientific truth.
A parallel can be drawn between Campbells assertions about myth and science in his
essay The Impact of Science on Myth and the movie Fight Club. According to
Campbell, it is the moral structure provided by myth that prevents the world from
deteriorating into total despondency. However, the acceptance of new scientific teaching
is what maintains open and active minds. Accordingly, the complete rejection of timehonored teachings of civilized society is what causes the eventual degeneration of Fight
Club into the amoral quest Project Mayhem, but the freedom of the rigid expectations and
mandates of society that fight club provided made the men more complete and content
within themselves. Consequently, a harmonious balance between the ritualized and the
innovative is what the members of fight club needed in order to continue gleaning the
benefits without reeking negative destruction on the surrounding world, just as a
harmonious balance between the moral fabric of myths and the reality of science is
necessary for societys successful continuation according to Campbell.