Bonding in Art, Literature, Social Thought and Philosophy

Overview:
In this lesson, we’ll explore how human cultures have represented and interrogated bonding – in myth, literature, fine arts, philosophy, and social thought—from maternal archetypes to societal ruptures. How sacred rites, contemplative practices, and cosmologies emphasize unity. We’ll also reflect on how collective narratives support or undermine healthy bonding.

• Outcomes:
  • Identify recurring metaphors and themes related to bonding in the arts.
  • Critically analyze cultural products through the lens of relationality.
• Highlights:
  • Artistic expressions of union/separation
  • The mother-child motif in myth and literature
  • Political philosophy of relationality
  • Bonding through sacred rituals
  • Collective memory and shared symbolic space
  • Transpersonal experiences of oneness
• Key References:
• • • Gaston Bachelard (1964). The Poetics of Space.
    • Ursula Le Guin (1974). The Dispossessed.
    • Mircea Eliade (1957). The Sacred and the Profane.
    • Thomas Moore (1992). Care of the Soul.