Order, Chaos, and the Hero’s Journey
During the March 31st Zoom chat, Dr. Clark introduced us to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a cognitive hierarchy that begins with memorization and sequentially advances through six steps toward creating something new based on what has been previously learned.[1] I will summarize Jordan Peterson’s Maps of Meaning using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Remembering: recognizing and recalling facts
Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief, by Peterson, is a seminal work exploring systems of belief and their role in shaping human societies. The book explains how myths and stories from various cultures share common themes and structures. Peterson argues that myth and religious stories are not just primitive superstitions but are essential frameworks for understanding human psychology and behaviour. These are not contrary to science and psychology but provide a map for navigating the complexities of life and explain how human beings create meaning in life. He writes, “Myth describes things in terms of their unique or shared affective valence, their value, their motivational significance.”[2]
In essence, myth helps us to understand meaning. Meaning, in turn, provides us with an understanding of the desirable future, and how we should act.[3] Peterson elucidates, “Our most fundamental maps of meaning—maps which have a narrative structure—portray the motivational value of our current state, conceived of in contrast to a hypothetical ideal, accompanied by plans of action, which are our pragmatic notions about how to get what we want.”[4]
Peterson maps the rationality of Soviet Communism alongside societies formed by myth, and observes that they have been unable to help people find ultimate meaning or help guide behaviour.[5] In the introduction, he writes, “I have become convinced that the world-that-is- belief is orderly; that there are universal moral absolutes (although these are structured such that a diverse range of human opinion remains both possible and beneficial). I believe that individuals and societies who flout these absolutes—in ignorance or in willful opposition—are doomed to misery and eventual dissolution.”[6]
Important figures in the book include Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Fredrick Nietzsche, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Understanding: understanding what the facts mean
A significant theme in the book is the dichotomy between order and chaos. Order represents the known, structured, and predictable aspects of life, while chaos represents the unknown, unpredictable, and potentially threatening aspects.[7]
One such meta myth, according to Peterson, is the Christian story. Man has fallen and the world is a mess. Christian morality is the plan of action to attain the ideal state known as the Kingdom of God.[8]
Applying: applying the facts and concepts
Peterson applies these concepts to modern life, suggesting that understanding these archetypal stories can help individuals make sense of life and thus navigate personal and societal challenges. These challenges indicate that we have either erred or our plans need updating. When we err significantly, we enter chaos and must seek to reintegrate back into an ordered state.[9]
Peterson suggests that purpose in life can be achieved by confronting chaos, taking responsibility, and striving for personal growth.
Analyzing: breaking down complex ideas
The book breaks down complex ideas about the human psyche. Peterson explores the concept of the hero’s journey, where individuals confront chaos, overcome challenges, and return transformed. This journey is seen as a metaphor for personal growth and self-discovery. He writes, “The archetypal hero makes order out of chaos, brings peace to the world, and restructures society when it has become rigid and anachronistic.”[10] In the absence of the hero, chaos reigns.[11]
There is a clear synthesis with The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Hero is about comparative mythology that reveals all great heroic tales share a common narrative arc that has shaped stories across space and time. Campbell explains, “The hero, therefore, is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human forms.”[12] Like Peterson, Campbell reveals the power of myth to shape belief and behaviour, calling human beings to confront chaos in their lives, become transformed, and bring the world to order.
Evaluating: judging the value of the ideas
Peterson evaluates different belief systems and their impact on human behaviour, arguing that some systems are more effective than others in promoting psychological well-being and societal stability. On the whole, Peterson’s work has significant values as it helps the reader gain an appreciation for the role of myth and should send a warning signal to those who have adopted a postmodern worldview and all of the ramifications associated with it.
He leans very heavily on the Judeo-Christian story, and this has drawn the ire of many of his critics. One such critic complains, “But his evidence for the generality of such myths is limited to the tradition that runs from Mesopotamia through Judaism to Christianity, with occasional references to Buddhism.”[13]
Creating: combining parts to make a new whole
Peterson encourages readers to create their own maps of meaning by integrating insights from various disciplines and personal experiences to build a coherent and meaningful worldview. The book also has practical implications for individuals, such as the importance of setting goals, and facing challenges.
For example, every person in this program is currently updating maps of leadership as they study at George Fox in the DLGP. Using an interdisciplinary approach, and through stakeholder research, we are addressing problems in our contexts that may be difficult to address. In doing so, we are confronting the chaos and attempting to bring order to the system that we are in.
Conclusion:
Peterson is an influential voice who argues against postmodernity and calls the reader toward belief, purpose, heroic action, and creating a better future. Maps of Meaning is a complex book and requires a more in-depth analysis than I have had time for. In the future, I would like to examine his psychological analysis in more detail.
[1] “Bloom’s Taxonomy | Centre for Teaching Excellence | University of Waterloo,” accessed April 2, 2025, https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/blooms-taxonomy.
[2] Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013), 9.
[3] Peterson, 13.
[4] Peterson, 23.
[5] Peterson, 11.
[6] Peterson, Maps of Meaning.
[7] Peterson, 23.
[8] Peterson, 17.
[9] Peterson, 47.
[10] Peterson, 94.
[11] Peterson, 126.
[12] Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 3. ed., with rev, The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell 17 (Novato, Calif: New World Library, 2008), 14.
[13] “Jordan Peterson’s Murky Maps of Meaning | Psychology Today Canada,” accessed April 4, 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/hot-thought/201803/jordan-petersons-murky-maps-meaning.
About the Author
Graham English
I was born in Cape Town, South Africa 30 minutes from Table Mountain, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. My family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada where I spent my teen years, met Wendy, and got married. We now live on the Canadian prairies in northern Alberta. I think God has a sense of humour. I'm a follower of Jesus, work in leadership and church development, love my family and walk a lot.10 responses to “Order, Chaos, and the Hero’s Journey”
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great analysis Graham. How does Peterson’s perspective as a Western thinker influence his text overall?
That’s a great question, Ryan. I think Peterson’s Western influence is primarily seen in his focus on the individual and the individual’s responsibility.
Hi Graham, I like the way you dissected the book using Bloom’s Taxonomy. If you were to map your life, can you see where you’ve been and project where you are headed? How might this program fit into that?
Thanks Diane, I think that I am at the stage in my life where the dominant worldview would say that I should be readying for retirement in a few years. Why learn anything new now? Why start anything new now?
However, this program has helped me to think differently and helped set me up so that I can continue to learn and to contribute to leader development over the next decade or so.
In essence, my research challenges the traditional model of pastoral leadership that we have embraced for decades but is now sorely lacking in our current context.
I have had many people in my denomination affirm the research that I am doing as necessary for pastoral leader development.
Graham,
Good job taking us through the Bloom Taxonomy. I will reference this when Jason asks us to dive into it in the discussion on Monday. What would one highlight of the book be for you?
Thanks, Adam. I think that the highlight of the book was Peterson’s focus on confronting chaos as the path to transformation.
We live in a world that values comfort, ease, and personal happiness above all else. I was reflecting on the Camino the other day and one of the things that makes the Camino so satisfying and transformative is that you must embrace suffering, pain, challenges, and discomfort. I heard of one walker who had his arm torn to shreds by a German shepherd on the path. He went to a hospital, had it treated, and continued to walk the rest of the way. It was a harrowing experienced that left him shaken, but he overcame it. It is in the overcoming of these that the Camino becomes a pathway to transformation. Riding the 800 kms on a bus or train across Spain might be interesting but it’s certainly not transformative.
And in life, these unpleasant moments of chaos must be embraced and overcome, rather than avoided.
I have been reflecting on MAID (assisted death) in Canada. The numbers are increasing rapidly each year. Last year 1/20 deaths were a result of MAID. If suffering and death represent the ultimate chaos for us, it means our society is increasingly avoiding moments that have the greatest potential to transform us. I know this is a complicated matter, but the rapid increase in Canada is alarming.
Love the Bloom’s taxonomy applied to this book. Thanks for this helpful analysis.
In your summary, you touch on evaluating different belief systems. How do you think Bloom’s Taxonomy can help people to critically evaluate their belief systems, especially in terms of their psychological and societal impacts?
Thanks, Debbie. That’s an interesting question. I wonder if one could read the guiding texts and run these through Bloom. Or perhaps one could interview those who follow the belief system and then utilize Bloom’s to do an evaluation.
Thanks Graham. Under evaluation, there’s a dimension Peterson speaks of that I don’t see represented here. Namely, the construction of a complete world picture that includes both the mythological and the empirical.
How you would envision helping this from within the Church, who often carry an anti-empiricism in their view of reality. What relevance does this coupling have to ensure we are “not too heavenly minded to be no earthly good”?
Good insight, Joel. Good question as well. It seems that some people in the church can be anti-emperical bias. I find that it’s helpful to bring other sources or viewpoints into preaching and teaching that either confirm or challenge their view of reality. I will often say, “whether you agree with this or not, it’s helpful to consider and understand the perspectives of others”.