Heroism and the Restoration of the American Soul
Joe Biden ran on a simple and, evidently, effective campaign platform: Restore the Soul of America. What does this mean? Like his predecessors’ ‘make America great again,’ this is a call for a restoration of some time past; of something that ‘was’ beautiful and grand, and has since seen a fall from grace. It is not clear that a country can have a soul. Beyond the political talking point, what can this slogan, and it’s use in the winning platform for president, tell us about our nation’s current state of affairs?
If there is a soul of America, what is it, and where can it be found? To unpack a metaphysical statement such as this, we must do a deep dive into the metaphysics of the soul itself. We must understand it individually, culturally, and universally, as we must understand all things metaphysical. I will propose that this slogan, consciously or not, points to a problem much more extensive than any single politician can solve. If our country’s very soul needs restoration, no amount of back-room negotiation, deal-cutting, or status-quo policy will do the job.
The first place we may look to find the soul of America is in the individuals of the past who we see as great and derived empowerment from the might of this thing called the soul. Martin Luther King, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln. All these figures spoke, wrote, and acted in ways that seemed true, just, and correct in the world: all attributes that, as we will see, are vital to anything that can be said to have a soul. The particularly religious and, dare I say, spiritual bent of the slogan of our incoming 46th president implies a profound shift in our cultural discourse. When seeking the soul of America, we must genuinely be seeking the soul in ourselves.
The soul in modern American life.
Religion has seen a noticeable and consistent decline over the past decades. More people than ever identify as ‘non-religious,’ ‘atheist’ or ‘agnostic.’ In particular, liberals tend to skew non-religious, while conservatives cling to religious fundamentalism. The concept of the soul is not innately religious: it can be universalized, but it is classically associated with religion. People’s concepts differ about that which is simultaneously the most intimate and alien to us. Discussing the soul, the spirit, or anything metaphysical in public life seems to draw ridicule at best and disdain at worst. Just look at Marriane Williamson, the spiritual author and candidate for president in the 2020 democratic primary. Her platform was political. It included proposals like reparations for slavery, universal healthcare, and criminal justice reform, among other recognizable and forward-thinking ideas. She campaigned with an emphasis on love, connection to humanity, and spirit. While a powerful force in an early debate, this platform ultimately saw her laughed at and pushed out of the mainstream conversation.
That early debate moment saw Williamson speaking of the ‘dark psychic force of collectivized hatred brought up by Donald Trump.’ This statement brought about a cheer from the crowd and cut to the core of the often insubstantial conversation precipitated in political debates. It was a statement that hit home for Joe Biden. Let’s unpack why. When she referenced this ‘dark psychic force,’ she was not talking about some evil psychic being out of a sci-fi book. She was pointing to what Jungian psychologists refer to as the “collective unconscious.” This is something like the underlying emotional energy that drives groups of people to act in specific ways. We can recognize this force clearly throughout history. In 1940’s Germany, the collective unconscious was hateful. Years of war and unrest had led to a country that seemed peaceful but was boiling under the surface with angry, fearful energy; all that was needed was a catalyst in the form of Hitler to channel and direct that energy into action.
In the 1960s, the collective unconscious seemed to strive for an awakening of sorts, a cultural movement spurred on by psychedelics, a meeting of the east and west, and anti-war movements gave rise to innovation and new forms of thinking. This time gave birth to the modern computer and a cultural renaissance that spanned music, entertainment, and technology. The collective unconscious moves in different ways at different times, similar to how our individual unconscious minds dictate much of what we do, feel, and think. If there is anything that is the Soul of America, it is this collective unconscious; it is the cultural landscape that we all understand and participate in without knowing it. It is the social operating system upon which we run.
Williamson pointed out, correctly, that there is something wrong with that operating system. It has turned, as for other cultures in other times, towards a dark, fearful, and hateful agenda. Trump picked up on this energy; the uncertainty and anger of people who felt they had been left behind, who felt that there was a time when things were better for them, and who wished to blame their problems, as people do, on something outside of themselves. For these people, their very soul- the social operating system that had seen them comfortably employed, in-charge, and unimpeded in their ideas and ways of life- had been irrevocably disrupted. Continued social and political unrest on both sides of the political spectrum is increasingly pointing out deep flaws in our social structure and system. It is the work of our time to look into the deepest layers of our social operating system and make changes that will move us in a direction that is more inclusive, fair, equal, and equitable to all people and perspectives.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.-Abraham Lincoln
Divided against itself
We can understand this quote on many levels; the obvious and relevant one is that two warring factions in a single nation inevitably invite defeat. Nobody wins in war, destruction is inevitable, and nothing is gained. Another interpretation sees this as a caution to each individual; we cannot remain divided within ourselves. We must stay vigilant to that which is in our own best interests, in line with our souls. The nature of the soul is ephemeral and metaphysical. For this article’s purpose, I will make the soul synonymous with consciousness, although, metaphysically, they point to different aspects of the same thing.
The soul, in metaphysical thought, is both what makes us aware of the world and from where we derive our intrinsic morality. It is the “inner light” that seeks to understand the world around us and create mental images of what we see and do. It is the same energy that makes us alive: the energy that disappears from a body upon death. This is a misunderstood and often misinterpreted concept. It is one that makes us think of God, the afterlife, and those things that we tend to shy away from in life, those things that make us question reality itself. It is a powerful force indeed, and invoking it politically points to the dire straights our country seems to be in.
The soul of every person can be said to embark on a journey through life. We all go through stages of mental, spiritual, and emotional growth throughout our lives. It seems increasingly clear that life-long learning is a key not only to worldly success but to increased happiness, meaning, and positive change throughout our lives. When we think of a person genuinely changing over time, it is their soul that changes. This is evoked even in our language. When we speak of someone as becoming ‘corrupt,’ it is their soul we see as corrupted, blocked off from the love and purity of which it is capable. When we see someone who has ‘flourished,’ it is this intrinsic property that seems to shine brighter from within them, leading to their living improvement.
Mythologically and psychologically, the hero’s journey is the archetypal pattern of the soul’s growth. The soul, or a person, must set out from home, find adventure in the world, seek wisdom, face terror and demons with courage and strength, and ultimately return home with the insight they set out to discover. On a psychological level, this points to our own needs to seek our true selves, confront what is within us that we find abhorrent and terrifying, overcome it through acceptance, and ultimately develop inner growth and change of our ways. This journey, in an individual, can happen multiple times in a lifetime, but it always represents growth and change at a fundamental level. It is this journey that 12-step programs are often based upon. It seeks to get to the core of people to push them into a perspective shift.
This hero’s journey always results in a positive change in the restoration of a fallen state. If we are born pure and good and have been hardened and corrupted by life, the acceptance and transformation of this journey can lead us back to a more refined, loving, and hopeful state of being. It is in this state that we can act appropriately in accordance with the good of ourselves and others. This is why heroes continue to be heroes after and beyond their origin stories. Once you face the demons in your mind and heart, you are more capable of overcoming those in the world and the hearts and minds of others. Heroes vanquish these demons with compassion and grace, neutralizing them rather than destroying them outright.
The hero in each of us.
In speaking of restoring the Soul of America, Joe Biden is calling for a hero’s journey, both for the country and for each person within it. It is only by seeking to be heroes individually, by restoring our souls, that we will be able to regain our collective soul. We are all capable of becoming heroes by seeking to accept and let go of the darkness in our hearts. We must not look outward to judge the world but rather look inward to discover our own potential. We must seek better ways of loving ourselves and others. We must strive to bridge divides through active understanding. We must learn to see even the hateful bigot as a corrupted form of that pure soul that we see in ourselves. We must do more to learn and teach about the hero’s journey, about the deep work that must be done by every individual to become a true hero, a real shining example of right living.
Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. -Rumi
If we can do this, if each of us can contribute to the whole by healing ourselves, by seeking the restoration of our souls, then we will have completed and answered the call of our incoming president. This is not necessarily easy work, although it can be gratifying. It is through collective action to restore our souls that each one of us can change the world. What does this mean practically? Seek therapy, meditate, look inward, seek to understand the nature of reality, just try to see the beauty of life no matter who it exists within. See your political opponent as a human being, even if you find their views abhorrent. It is by collectively acting to improve and change ourselves through acceptance and love that we can change the world.
The soul of America.
All of this is not said to let the government off the hook. There are genuine problems- real demons- that exist in our nation that need to be addressed by the same mechanisms by which we address those in our hearts and minds. We must look at these problems, accept that they exist, let go of our emotional states about them, and seek actual progress that will cure the root causes of these issues. When we speak of ‘restoring the Soul of America,’ we must ask ourselves what that soul is. It is up to all of us, every American, to decide.
I see the soul of America as a soul of freedom, of innovation, possibility, and potential for every person regardless of race, gender, age, ability, or otherwise. I see a nation that encourages physical, mental, and spiritual growth for its citizens. I see a democratically engaged public who seek policy and problem-solving that benefit every person, allowing each individual the opportunity to heal their minds and hearts and contribute their highest potential to the whole.
Policies that will restore the Soul of America are not what we have today. We must seek peace, not war, love, not division, and progress, not stagnation. It is my hope and prayer that the incoming administration recognizes these needs within our nation. It is also my hope and prayer that the American people acknowledge these needs and seek to heal themselves that the country may begin to be healed. If this administration does not recognize the profound nature of soul restoration, then a force of individuals who have discovered the hero within themselves must rise with compassion, peace, and love; a soul-force must demonstrate the heroic power of these ideals.
We will need to create and form a new party, a new political movement based, like all great political movements of the past have been, on endless compassion, love, and perseverance. This true heroism will be essential to the end of war, division, and fear in our times. Only love can drive out fear, hatred, and division, and only a soul restored to its full and true glory is capable of such powerful love. To restore the Soul of America, we must regain love in America. We must act upon our highest ideals and envision a future where these ideals are manifest in daily life. We must create the conditions for this future to come about and then enact real-world policies and institutions that facilitate its emergence.
Restore the soul, save the world.
Joe Biden’s platform was prescient and powerful. It won him the election and has the latent potential to energize the collective unconscious of the American people in a way that has not been seen at least since the 1960s. The profound nature of this slogan is not the same as ‘make America great again.’ It is a call to bring back something real and useful: the essence of American progress. It is a springboard upon which progress can be made, not a harkening to some former age of material greatness where people were carefree, and the world seemed to make sense. Indeed, restoring one’s soul necessitates a journey into the unknown, the fearful, and the unsensible before we can emerge into the truth of something greater.
We must each do the work of restoring America’s Soul. We must strive to regain our souls and seek that which is metaphysically true and vital to life. We must seek embodied human connection, love, and truth. Our political leaders will not have the answers to the problems of today. Democracy must be reinvigorated of the people, by the people, and for the people. We must do this by each believing that our heroic impulses benefit everyone else’s. If 2020 has been any indication, the coming years will be rife with trial and tribulation. Our options are before us; we can stand up and rise to the challenges, or we can falter and let the world overcome us. If we wish to build something beautiful for ourselves, our children, and future generations, then it is time to lay aside our differences and rise as the heroes we are. It is time to restore our power as individuals and embrace it. It is time to do what heroes do: save the world.