LOGOS, CENTRAL MASCULINE ARCHETYPE
| Traditionally the Greek
term Logos in its purist form means logic, thinking, reasoning, and
reflection. Throughout our book we use the concept of Logos in a broad,
collective sense which denotes the driving force or energy behind
civilization. Our interpretation of Logos as a collective masculine
principle is not intended to be sexist or gender based, but rather a
symbolic expression of the natural instinctive activity behind this
archetype. In terms of thinking and reasoning, the evolution of mathematics
has made possible our contemporary world of science and technology.
Like all archetypes Logos is split between constructive and destructive poles. Despite constant technological and scientific advancements, the destructive side of Logos has increasingly contaminated the collective consciousness of our time as both nations and political leaders have identified with it. In Chapter Seven, Part One of our book Unraveling Collective Confusion we call this archetypal aspect of Logos: Negative Logos. The traditional archetype of the Terrible Father is comparable to our term. Movies such as the original Star Wars trilogy personified the Terrible Father in the character of Darth Vader. Historical figures identified with the Terrible Father include Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Ivan The Terrible, Hitler and Stalin to name a few. Patriarchal warfare, rampant armament production and increased aggression around the globe are some of the consequences. As a result--Eros, the archetype of human relatedness and feeling has progressively been driven underground back into the collective unconscious. The following schema indicates the center balance and extreme imbalances inherent in the various masculine archetypes: Puer ↑ Wise Old Man ↓ Negative Logos/Terrible Father
Below we will explore several of these archetypes as they branch out from the core of Logos. Note: The Wise Old Man is the most balanced as he is in the center between the polarized extremes of Negative Logos and the Puer, e.g. eternal youth. Because of the importance and scope of the Puer he has his own Web Page.
|
LOGOS: THE WISE OLD MAN
| The Wise Old
Man corresponds to the archetype of the Self or god image because he
embodies the best qualities of both the puer and senex without being
identified with their extremes: ungrounded youth and entrenched age. He is
able to balance the tension of both within himself without becoming
polarized or one-sided. He takes the best qualities of each and applies them
to life. He has the youthful curiosity and spontaneity of the puer, yet the
experienced mastery of the senex.
Below is a self-portrait by renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. The wise old man archetype also fits composer/pianist Franz Liszt. The 1879 oil painting by Elisa Ransonnet-Villez catches the true spirit of Liszt. The spiritual theme of the Self pervades both the painting of Leonardo da Vinci and the music of Liszt. Both were pioneers and wizards of their craft. |
|
 |
 |
LOGOS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE WISE OLD MAN
| The mythic connection with the archetype of the wise old man is alive and well thanks to Hollywood. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the old Jedi Knight from the original Star Wars series as played by Alec Guinness, retains the unique wisdom of this archetype. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry from the Harry Potter series is also associated with this type. | |||
 |
 |
||
LOGOS: THE CONTEMPORARY WISE OLD MAN
|
Mahatma Gandhi is identified with this archetype.
He was a model of non-violence, altruism and
responsible living. As a living example, Jimmy Carter embodies the
qualities of this archetype. In recognition of his many diplomatic and
ambassadorial contributions he has received a Nobel Peace Prize.
|
|
 |
 |
LOGOS: NEGATIVE LOGOS/THE TERRIBLE FATHER
| The shadow
side of the positive masculine archetype of Logos is traditionally called
The Terrible Father. In our book we identify this aspect as Negative Logos.
He is identified with the values of the terrible father: violence,
brutality, fear, control, corrupted authority, tyranny and crudity. The image LEFT by Goya, "Saturn Devouring One Of His Sons" is from his black period (1820-1823). The savage Napoleonic wars in 18th century Spain inspired this Goya work. The center picture is by Dali and is entitled, "A Logician Devil." It was based on Dante's image of the devil at the pit bottom of hell. It may symbolize the one-sided idiot savant attitude of negative Logos. The 1890 oil painting entitled "Lucifer" --RIGHT--is by Franz Von Stuck. Note the possessed, yellow eyes. |
||
 |
 |
 |
NEGATIVE LOGOS: HOLLYWOOD & THE MATRIX
| The archetypal mythogem of Negative Logos is recast as a contemporary story in the new movie sequel "The Matrix Reloaded." The Matrix is a kind of virtual reality created by menacing robots with artificial intelligence. They have enslaved most of minds of humanity except for a few who live in an underground city called Zion. The life and death struggle between the robots and the few 'unplugged' humans (who also act like robots) is the basic plot. In the LEFT movie still a robot gets unplugged the hard way. The underground archetype of Eros, the human feeling aspect makes a brief appearance in the reunion scene of Neo with the Oracle. | |
 |
 |
NEGATIVE LOGOS: THE ENVIRONMENT
| Evidence suggests that our collective identification with the Negative Logos archetype over the last two centuries is assisting man made climate change. This change is specifically associated with the phenomena of Global Warming. The year 2002 was the hottest in recorded history. According to recent news reports a total of 21,000 people have died of heat related illnesses throughout Europe this summer of 2003--a majority of them in France. The yearly increase of average global temperatures is due to the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane and other industrial gases. The amount of carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere has increased from 280 to 340 parts per million over the last century. The earth's forests--principally rain forests--have acted as the planet's lungs and helped absorb excessive carbon dioxide. Archetypally, the primal rain forests have always represented the Eros principle. Numerous scientific studies show that at their current rate of destruction, the rain forest system will be gone in less than 50 years. | |
 |
|
NEGATIVE LOGOS: THE WASTELAND
|
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you
know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead
tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of
water. --T. S. Eliot, From The Waste Land, 1922
|
| Patriarchal contamination is a common theme in fairy tales where Eros or the feminine element in society has been driven underground and has become unconscious. Long brutal periods in history testify to this. Fairy tales traditional use the metaphor of a kingdom under a bewitching spell or sleep. The painting "Briar Rose Sleeping" by Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones shows the entire feminine kingdom dormant and asleep. The Prince, who will come someday and awaken Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, is a metaphor for a conscious renewal of the feminine within society. | |
 |
|