In Praise of Polytheism

In Praise of Polytheism (On Monomythical and Polymythical Thinking) is an essay by the German philosopher Odo Marquard, delivered as a lecture at the Technische Universitat Berlin in 1978 and first published in 1979, then republished in 1981 in Marquard's book Farewell to Matters of Principle. The essay argues that monotheism and the Enlightenment rest on a monomythical thinking that allows only one story, that the separation of powers and the individual have their origin in polytheism, and that people should instead embrace what Marquard calls enlightened polymythical thinking, the recognition of several stories in the modern world. It provoked discussion and controversy in Germany, including early criticism from Jacob Taubes, who associated its views with far-right politics.