Recorded Presentation 10 – HUM-205: Wisdom, Perspectival Spectrum, & Collaborative Definition of Myth

Course Context & Modality

• Course: HUM-205 – Introduction to Mythology, Elgin Community College (Summer, asynchronous online)
• Platform: Desire2Learn (D2L)
• Enrollment: 24 students
• Semester window: Start – 06/09/2025 ; End – 07/31/2025 (≈ 3 weeks remaining)
• Instructional method: Series of recorded Zoom presentations (≈ 90-180 min each) uploaded to D2L; no scheduled class meetings

Quick Timeline of Recorded Presentations Referenced

• RP 3–4: First- & second-order questions; simple vs. complex queries
• RP 6–7: Working chart of cognition model first shown
• RP 8 (07/06): In-depth on Knowledge phase
• RP 9 (07/08): Introduction of Wisdom phase; perspectival spectrum
• RP 10 (07/10): Current recording – wisdom review, spectrum, definition of myth, course logistics

Three-Phase Model of Human Cognition ("Proposed Model")

1. Belief – instinctive, often unexamined, culturally given
2. Knowledge – dichotomous answers to 1ᵗˢᵗ-order questions (right vs. wrong); stored in memory/books/computers
   • Handles “What is … ?” / “Who is … ?” etc.
3. Wisdom – most rarefied/concentrated form
   • Requires deliberate volitional pursuit
   • Prerequisite: large, accessible base of knowledge
   • Purpose: answer 2ⁿᵈ-order (complex) questions – multiple plausible answers; societal popularity varies
   • Requires organization/manipulation of knowledge via critical reasoning

Critical Reasoning & Logic

• U.S. academic standard tool for organizing knowledge → fairness in diverse democracy (roots in Aristotle)
• Logic (course-specific sense): rules ensuring fair speech
  • Part 1 = Critical reasoning → building & presenting academic arguments
  • Audience matters in diverse settings; contrasts with basic (sectarian) reasoning where only tradition counts
• Learning the argument template is a chief goal of higher education (beyond first-order mastery of K-12)

Perspectival Spectrum (Philosophical Example)

• Borrowed plotting method from Political Science → classify answers by attitude toward change
  • Conservative (negative toward change)
  • Moderate (context-dependent)
  • Progressive/Radical (positive/inevitable view of change)
• Applied to metaphysical question “What is really real?”
  1. Materialism (conservative): reality = matter perceived by senses → dominant in modern USA (≈ 6⁄7 to conservative side)
  2. Idealism (progressive): reality = ideas/thought → permanence of concepts (e.g., right triangle & Pythagorean theorem c^2=a^2+b^2)
  3. Dualism (moderate): reality context-dependent; sometimes matter, sometimes mind holds primacy

Initial Myth-Related Foundations Covered Earlier

• Earlier branches of philosophy discussed:
  • Aesthetics → “What is beautiful?” (Aristotle: beauty lies in artist’s perspective)
  • Ethics → “How should we behave toward others?” (vs. legal first-order “How do we behave?”)
• For Mythology, focus shifts to metaphysics to fight popular misconception “myth = lie”

Collaborative Definition of Myth (Final Working Form)

“Oral, written, and/or multivocal stories, passed on by Homo faber, that answer (or attempt to answer) second-order questions.”

Deconstruction & Rationale

1. Medium (Oral | Written | Multivocal)
   • Oral storytelling is oldest mode
   • Orthography (writing) begins ≈ 3500 BCE (Sumerian pictographs)
   • Multivocal artifacts (drama → film, TV, video) emerge 5ᵗʰ c. BCE Athens; require multiple senses
   • Reject textbook adjective “ancient” as too limiting; myths can be modern (e.g., Big Bang theory)
2. Story vs. Narrative
   • Textbook (Leonard & McClure) call myths “ancient narratives” (implies linear, logical plot)
   • Instructor broadens to “story” to include non-linear, holistic, experiential communications (e.g., Buddhist insights on dukkha, Zen satori)
3. Transmission (“passed on”)
   • Emphasizes myths as living artifacts—retold, rewritten, performed; not static like pottery shards
4. Function: Answer Second-Order (Fundamental/Enduring) Questions
   • Mirrors course framework of complex questions
   • Examples: origins of cosmos, human identity, moral duties, value systems, consequences of actions

Comparison with Textbook Definition (Leonard & McClure, p. 1–2)

• Textbook: “Myths are ancient narratives that attempt to answer enduring & fundamental human questions”
• Instructor’s critiques:
  • “Ancient” unnecessary & inaccurate (living, evolving myths)
  • “Narrative” too narrow; ignores non-linear modes
  • Needs explicit note on medium diversity & transmission

Media Taxonomy & Vocabulary

• Univocal artifacts – apprehended through one sense (music, painting, sculpture, writing)
• Multivocal artifacts – require multiple senses (drama, film, video)
• Key term: voice (from Latin vox)

Example Artifacts & Concepts Mentioned

• Right triangle & Pythagorean theorem c^2=a^2+b^2 (idea-based permanence)
• Oedipus Tyrannos (Sophocles) – multi-vocal myth to be read for upcoming discussion
• Big Bang Theory – modern scientific cosmogony functioning as myth (origin story)

Course Assessment Changes (Announced 07/10)

Immediate Tasks & Deadlines

• Discussion #1 (“What is a story?”)
  • Original deadline passed; late submissions allowed with penalty (details forthcoming via Gmail)
• Pop Quiz #2
  • Opens Sat 07/12 @ 5 PM ; closes Tue 07/15 @ 9:30 AM
  • 5 multiple-choice questions on RP 5-10, cognition model, myth definition
• Read “Oedipus Tyrannos” (link in Module 2) for upcoming Discussion #2

Connections & Implications

• Ethical & democratic foundations: logic/critical reasoning ensure fair speech in diverse republics
• European academic lineage: course content traces roots to ancient Greece yet broadens to global humanities
• Myth study combats casual U.S. usage (“myth = lie”) by showing sophisticated cognitive & cultural roles
• Medium evolution (oral → orthography → multivocal) highlights Homo faber’s adaptability in preserving meaning

Key Terms to Memorize

• First-order vs. Second-order questions
• Belief / Knowledge / Wisdom
• Critical reasoning, logic, argument template
• Perspectival spectrum, materialism, idealism, dualism
• Univocal / Multivocal
• Orthography, Homo faber, Dukkha, Satori

Study Recommendations

• Re-watch RP 5-10 with focus on: phase definitions, logic steps, metaphysical examples, myth criteria
• Draft your own examples of myths in each medium & map them to second-order questions
• Practice outlining an academic argument (claim, evidence, reasoning) on “What is really real?” or “How should we behave?”
• Prepare for Quiz #2 by listing bullet-definitions and one-sentence illustrations of every bolded term above