/lit/ - Literature

>tfw wagie

What is ethos? I understand the etymology enough to have a clue, but no matter how much I read on it, I can't get a clear definition. For instance, take what Joseph Campbell says here:
>another reason for the high level of violence here is that America has no ethos....
He uses the example of American football vs English rugby, where the former has very strict rules while the latter has unspoken rules, and he calls this "an unstated mythology".
In short, would you say ethos can defined as a kind of collective threshold for things such as morality, common sense, aesthetics, and general way of life?
If so, what does this say about the lack of ethos and violence as a consequence?

What is ethos? I understand the etymology enough to have a clue, but no matter how much I read on it, I can't get a clear definition. For instance, take what Joseph Campbell says here:
>another reason for the high level of violence here is that America has no ethos....
He uses the example of American football vs English rugby, where the former has very strict rules while the latter has unspoken rules, and he calls this "an unstated mythology".
In short, would you say ethos can defined as a kind of collective threshold for things such as morality, common sense, aesthetics, and general way of life?
If so, what does this say about the lack of ethos and violence as a consequence?