Richard Dawkins The Magic Of Reality Essay
The lack of understanding and authenticity behind the reasons on why or how things exist have led to the creations of myths such as the Greek, Romans, Scandinavians, and other people around the world who began to use their stories as explanations. Authors Richard Dawkins and Edith Hamilton’s books help better understand two different points of views on the Mythological Theory.
• Mythology was created by people back before it was understood how such things came into existence. These stories were eventually passed on from generation to generation.
• Myths start by having unanswered questions, and continue as an explanation to result with a final possible answer.
• For many years, myths were orally shared throughout many generations, eventually …show more content…
causing the original story to change along the way.
• Myths were re-told in order to explain historical events, but as of today, it helps us remember what they believed happened, and what really happened.
• The author Richard Dawkins uses the mythological theory in his book, The Magic of Reality, to demonstrate how he views the theory and how he is affected by it.
• Dawkins was inspired to write an introduction to science, after, and based his book on how science closes the gap between what is real and what is not.
• He uses stories of the Greek, Scandinavian, Egyptian, and others, to compare the mythological theory that people used to believe back then, versus the scientific answers.
• He states that questions unanswered have scientific answers behind them, and mythological answers were simply ways to understand things they did not understand before science became as advanced as it is now.
• Edith Hamilton has a different type of fascination towards the idea of mythology. In her book Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, she solemnly writes about all the different myths that were told in Greece and Rome.
• Intrigued by the stories, Hamilton shares stories about myths people used to, and probably still believe in.
• She uses her work in support of the theory behind the theory of mythology and what more or less people used to believe.
• Unlike Richard Dawkins, Edith Hamilton’s book gives the myths a chance of redemption as the explanations as to why things exist the way they
do.
The Theory of Mythology:
The creation of Myths
For many years, people did not comprehend why there were day and night, how all forms of precipitation fell from the sky, how things grew from the ground, and many other questions were left unanswered. The lack of understanding and authenticity behind the reasons on why or how things exist have led to the creations of myths such as the Greek, Romans, and other people around the world who began to use their stories as explanations. Authors Richard Dawkins and Edith Hamilton’s books help better understand two different points of views on the Mythological Theory. How it began Although there is no specific date in which myths originated in every area of the world, it is known that people would come up with a story that seemed to fit the descriptions. Without modern technology, they were unable to come up with a more accurate answer, so these people were only left with the questionable doubt. Throughout the years, the stories would be re-told and passed on from one generation to the next. In some situations the story would end up getting changed here and there along the way. "Myths originate in cultures without writing (called oral cultures), and they are passed down by word of mouth." If myths had not been created, scientists and other researchers of today would not have many records of historical events. The myths have enabled us to have the opportunity to remember what occurred, and what was to have been believed to have occurred. "Some historians believe that myths began as actual historial events which, when told and retold through the ages, became exaggerated." Mythology also created a new window for different beliefs, considering the fact that (according to the areas in which people lived in) they worshiped many Gods, not just one like many other religious do. "Myths are universal; all ancient people in every part of the world created them." Perspectives on Reality Richard Dawkins’ book, The Magic of Reality, is based on unanswered questions, the mythological answer, and the answer he believes to be correct, the methods of science. He bases his book off the theory behind the theory of mythology because he believes that there is no such thing as supernatural forces, miracles, Gods, luck, etc. He allows a sense of doubt in the gap of reality and magic to be closed with certainty. “REALITY IS EVERYTHING that exists. That sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? Actually it isn’t. There are various problems. What about dinosaurs, which once existed but exist no longer? What about stars, which are so far away?” (Dawkins, 12) He uses the stories of the Greek, Scandinavians, Egyptians, Romans, and a few others, as examples and comparisons between myths and scientific answers. By doing so Richard Dawkins further explains how completely different people would think, thus creating different myths, compared to what science explains. :
Persephone was the daughter of… Zeus. Her mother was Demeter, fertility goddess of the Earth and harvest. Persephone was greatly loved by Demeter… But Hades, god of the underworld, home of the dead, loved Persephone too. One day when she was playing… Hades appeared from below in his chariot; seizing Persephone…Demeter was grief-stricken at the loss of her beloved daughter that she stopped the plants growing… Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds while in the underworld, and this meant…that she would have to go back for six months… in every year. So Persephone lives above ground for part of the year… spring and continuing through summer… but during the winter, when she has to return to Hades…the ground is cold and barren and nothing grows. (102-103)
Comparing the myth with the actual reason why summer and winter exist, completely changes the perspectives on the theory of mythology. "What really changes day to night, winter to summer?... The seasonal rhythm is explained by the yearly orbiting of the Earth around the sun, at distance of about 93 million miles." (103) It demonstrates how colorful the stories would end up being when the people did not have a proper answer to awkward questions, as well as how Dawkins’ thoughts reflect scientific reasoning rather than believing many theories behind a sole theory. Perspectives on Mythology Edith Hamilton on the other hand, has a different point of view towards the idea of mythology. In the book she wrote, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, Edith Hamilton shares a vast amount of different tales that were used as explanations before. : The Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe. It was the other way about: the universe created the gods. Before there were gods heaven and earth had been formed. They were the first parents. The Titans were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren. (Hamilton, 17)
After being intrigued in the theory behind the theory of mythology, Hamilton created her book to help give a better understanding of what the people back then used to believe. "Greek and Roman mythology is quite generally supposed to show us the way the human race thought and felt untold ages ago." (1) Unlike Dawkins, Hamilton gives the theory of mythology a chance at redemption as explanations of why things exist the way they do, and why people assumed those were the reasons. : Through it, according to this view, we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; the real interest of myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with the trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel. (1) So what is the real answer? The theory of mythology is something that should not be put aside as foolish stories because there are still many unanswered questions that even science or faith still cannot prove to be real. People must be able to have a wide range of ideas and imagination in order to be able to come up with an accurate conclusion. Both Authors, Richard Dawkins and Edith Hamilton, allowed a better understanding from two different points of views on the Mythological Theory.
Works Cited
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York, NY: Warner, 1999. Print.
Dawkins, Richard, and Dave McKean. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True. New York: Free, 2011. Print.
"How Did Myths Begin?" Super Beefy. 14 Oct. 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. .
"Greek Mythology." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. .
• Mythology was created by people back before it was understood how such things came into existence. These stories were eventually passed on from generation to generation.
• Myths start by having unanswered questions, and continue as an explanation to result with a final possible answer.
• For many years, myths were orally shared throughout many generations, eventually …show more content…
causing the original story to change along the way.
• Myths were re-told in order to explain historical events, but as of today, it helps us remember what they believed happened, and what really happened.
• The author Richard Dawkins uses the mythological theory in his book, The Magic of Reality, to demonstrate how he views the theory and how he is affected by it.
• Dawkins was inspired to write an introduction to science, after, and based his book on how science closes the gap between what is real and what is not.
• He uses stories of the Greek, Scandinavian, Egyptian, and others, to compare the mythological theory that people used to believe back then, versus the scientific answers.
• He states that questions unanswered have scientific answers behind them, and mythological answers were simply ways to understand things they did not understand before science became as advanced as it is now.
• Edith Hamilton has a different type of fascination towards the idea of mythology. In her book Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, she solemnly writes about all the different myths that were told in Greece and Rome.
• Intrigued by the stories, Hamilton shares stories about myths people used to, and probably still believe in.
• She uses her work in support of the theory behind the theory of mythology and what more or less people used to believe.
• Unlike Richard Dawkins, Edith Hamilton’s book gives the myths a chance of redemption as the explanations as to why things exist the way they
do.
The Theory of Mythology:
The creation of Myths
For many years, people did not comprehend why there were day and night, how all forms of precipitation fell from the sky, how things grew from the ground, and many other questions were left unanswered. The lack of understanding and authenticity behind the reasons on why or how things exist have led to the creations of myths such as the Greek, Romans, and other people around the world who began to use their stories as explanations. Authors Richard Dawkins and Edith Hamilton’s books help better understand two different points of views on the Mythological Theory. How it began Although there is no specific date in which myths originated in every area of the world, it is known that people would come up with a story that seemed to fit the descriptions. Without modern technology, they were unable to come up with a more accurate answer, so these people were only left with the questionable doubt. Throughout the years, the stories would be re-told and passed on from one generation to the next. In some situations the story would end up getting changed here and there along the way. "Myths originate in cultures without writing (called oral cultures), and they are passed down by word of mouth." If myths had not been created, scientists and other researchers of today would not have many records of historical events. The myths have enabled us to have the opportunity to remember what occurred, and what was to have been believed to have occurred. "Some historians believe that myths began as actual historial events which, when told and retold through the ages, became exaggerated." Mythology also created a new window for different beliefs, considering the fact that (according to the areas in which people lived in) they worshiped many Gods, not just one like many other religious do. "Myths are universal; all ancient people in every part of the world created them." Perspectives on Reality Richard Dawkins’ book, The Magic of Reality, is based on unanswered questions, the mythological answer, and the answer he believes to be correct, the methods of science. He bases his book off the theory behind the theory of mythology because he believes that there is no such thing as supernatural forces, miracles, Gods, luck, etc. He allows a sense of doubt in the gap of reality and magic to be closed with certainty. “REALITY IS EVERYTHING that exists. That sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? Actually it isn’t. There are various problems. What about dinosaurs, which once existed but exist no longer? What about stars, which are so far away?” (Dawkins, 12) He uses the stories of the Greek, Scandinavians, Egyptians, Romans, and a few others, as examples and comparisons between myths and scientific answers. By doing so Richard Dawkins further explains how completely different people would think, thus creating different myths, compared to what science explains. :
Persephone was the daughter of… Zeus. Her mother was Demeter, fertility goddess of the Earth and harvest. Persephone was greatly loved by Demeter… But Hades, god of the underworld, home of the dead, loved Persephone too. One day when she was playing… Hades appeared from below in his chariot; seizing Persephone…Demeter was grief-stricken at the loss of her beloved daughter that she stopped the plants growing… Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds while in the underworld, and this meant…that she would have to go back for six months… in every year. So Persephone lives above ground for part of the year… spring and continuing through summer… but during the winter, when she has to return to Hades…the ground is cold and barren and nothing grows. (102-103)
Comparing the myth with the actual reason why summer and winter exist, completely changes the perspectives on the theory of mythology. "What really changes day to night, winter to summer?... The seasonal rhythm is explained by the yearly orbiting of the Earth around the sun, at distance of about 93 million miles." (103) It demonstrates how colorful the stories would end up being when the people did not have a proper answer to awkward questions, as well as how Dawkins’ thoughts reflect scientific reasoning rather than believing many theories behind a sole theory. Perspectives on Mythology Edith Hamilton on the other hand, has a different point of view towards the idea of mythology. In the book she wrote, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, Edith Hamilton shares a vast amount of different tales that were used as explanations before. : The Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe. It was the other way about: the universe created the gods. Before there were gods heaven and earth had been formed. They were the first parents. The Titans were their children, and the gods were their grandchildren. (Hamilton, 17)
After being intrigued in the theory behind the theory of mythology, Hamilton created her book to help give a better understanding of what the people back then used to believe. "Greek and Roman mythology is quite generally supposed to show us the way the human race thought and felt untold ages ago." (1) Unlike Dawkins, Hamilton gives the theory of mythology a chance at redemption as explanations of why things exist the way they do, and why people assumed those were the reasons. : Through it, according to this view, we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; the real interest of myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with the trees and seas and flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel. (1) So what is the real answer? The theory of mythology is something that should not be put aside as foolish stories because there are still many unanswered questions that even science or faith still cannot prove to be real. People must be able to have a wide range of ideas and imagination in order to be able to come up with an accurate conclusion. Both Authors, Richard Dawkins and Edith Hamilton, allowed a better understanding from two different points of views on the Mythological Theory.
Works Cited
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York, NY: Warner, 1999. Print.
Dawkins, Richard, and Dave McKean. The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True. New York: Free, 2011. Print.
"How Did Myths Begin?" Super Beefy. 14 Oct. 2007. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. .
"Greek Mythology." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. .