On the Concept of Political Myth

Abstract

The article endeavors to construct a concept of political myth, grounded on an interdisciplinary approach tying three lines together: myth as mystification, as exemplified in the work of Roland Barthes; myth as a narrative of origins and an element of social cohesion; and, lastly, the political myth itself, as proposed by Georges Sorel, which emphasizes the emotional, mobilizing nature of political discourse. The result is a view of the political myth as the political expression of the rejection of politics? That is, an expression of nostalgia for a harmonious society.