Joseph Campbell was an American author and teacher best known for his work in the field of Comparative Mythology. He was born in New York City in 1904, and from an early age became interested in mythology. He was educated at Columbia University, where he specialized in Medieval Literature and, after earning a Master’s degree, continued his studies at universities in Paris and Munich.
While in Europe, Campbell was influenced by the art of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, the novels of James Joyce and Thomas Mann, and the psychological studies of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
These encounters led to Campbell’s theory that all myths and epics are linked in the human psyche, and that they are cultural manifestations of the need to explain social, cosmological, and spiritual realities.
During the 1940s and ’50s, Campbell helped Swami Nikhilananda translate the Upaniṣads and The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. He also edited works by the German scholar Heinrich Zimmer on Indian art, myths and philosophy.
His first original work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, came out in 1949 and was immediately well received. In time, it became acclaimed as a classic.
He died in 1987 and in 1988, a series of television interviews with Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell andThe Power of Myth, introduced Campbell’s views to millions of people. The video series is free to stream on YouTube, and the accompanying book remains in print today.
