Myths make it possible to reveal realities inexpressible in philosophical abstractions—realities too profound for logical discourse. Joseph Campbell explores how myths that drove pre-scientific societies remain relevant today. Of course, ancient myths explained the cosmos and the origins of man through metaphors that have been replaced by science, but the unifying role of myth remains crucial and unknown in all societies. The author demonstrates how, across time and space, myth and religion have retained a strikingly similar set of archetypes.