The archetype of fire

We are certainly mindful, in this day and age, of fire's destructive properties--the loss of a home in the suburbs due to fire can create monetary losses into the millions.Yet imagine a world without fire, and imagine a world without the internal combustion engine--and you imagine a globe filled with obsolescence, darkness, and strife. Unless you were trained by your Boy Scout troop leader, there aren't too many of us in the modern age who know the specific techne at work in making fire--most of us would sooner employ our Zippo (tm) lighters or strike-on-box matches. Nonetheless, fire is a technological art, which according to Ovidian sources, was brought to earth by Prometheus.

Early accounts of the myth suggest that Zeus cared not a whit for the lowly humans below Mount Olympus--they were considered gnats who would more than likely kill each other through internicine strife. For what possible reason should the lord of Olympus provide them with fire?

Prometheus dared to defy the Overlord, bringing fire and all of its accordant powers to humanity.

According to the source material,

The gift of divine fire unleashed a flood of inventiveness, productivity and, most of all, respect for the immortal gods in the rapidly developing mortals. Within no time (by Immortal standards), culture, art, and literacy permeated the land around Mount Olympos (Olympus). When Zeus realized the deception that Prometheus had fostered, he was furious. He had Hephaistos (Hephaestus) shackle Prometheus to the side of a crag, high in the Caucasus mountains. There Prometheus would hang until the fury of Zeus subsided.
Each day, Prometheus would be tormented by Zeus’ eagle as it tore at his immortal flesh and tried to devour his liver. Each night, as the frost bit its way into his sleep, the torn flesh would mend so the eagle could begin anew at the first touch of Eos (the Dawn). (Stewart 01 sic)

Stewart, Michael. "Prometheus", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/promethe.html (September 19, 2005)

What makes this myth intriguing is that the god of technology and industry, the forge-god Hephaistos, enslaves the demigod that has released this secret--that which was reserved for elites has now been given to the community below. Humanity's darkness was illuminated by divine fire, a divine fire that became translated from an element directly into human ingenuity.

The fire myth in this class:

Once humanity mastered the art of fire, they mastered an entire host of techne--skills that developed civilization. Currently, we are moving beyond the Industrial Revolution, that which put fire together with the first archetype to produce steam, steam that fueled the growth of industries across Europe. At this moment in time, we stand as Dr. Frankenstein over decrepit flesh, or Pygmalion over clay--lords of creation. The myths we will study, therefore, involve artist as creator and the implications of the act of creation. Pygmalion fell in love with his creation and ushered in tragedy after tragedy in his illicit love (lust?) for his beloved statue. The divine spark of fire that he placed in his inanimate bride serves as a unique counterpoint to the myth of Medusa: Medusa made men into stone, while Pygmalion brought stone into the world of the living. We will investigate the unique interplay of these processes.

Transmission into literature and pop culture:

Frankenstein, of course, Mary Shelley's masterpiece, had an alternative title: "The Modern Prometheus." Using the fires of technology, or, in filmed versions of the tale, the newly-harnessed power of electricity, a new creation could be made. Yet what are the implications of this act?

Does Frankenstein's monster have a soul?

If we model our creations after ourselves while being flawed creations ourselves, then will our technological innovations be just as flawed?

The modern myth of Pygmalion has become transmitted into current debates about Artificial Intelligence in cyborgs, androids, and robots.

The Terminator films seemingly suggest that all creations of men inherently represent facets of our evil; hence, all of our creations will realize our frailties and exterminate us.

The Asimovian model represented in films such as Bicentennial Man indicate that we can learn from our robotic counterparts--that they are not merely dead automatons who should serve as our slaves, but that they are reflections of what it means to truly be "human."

Questions I hope to raise with this unit:

Is a robot an authentic being, possessing rights that humans are empowered by, given that the robot may not qualify as human?

Per the question immediately above, what is a human being? How can we define "humanity?"

Do we as creators have a moral responsibility to shepherd our creations towards a correct path?

As our world becomes increasingly more technological, what balance can be struck with the realm of the natural?

How has humanity increasingly asserted control over the natural, even to the direct control over the body?

LINKS:

Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw (a play that later became My Fair Lady, starring the iconic Audrey Hepburn.

"Supertoys Last All Summer Long," Brian Aldiss (the short story that later served as Stanley Kubrick's inspiration for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, later directed by Spielberg, following Kubrick's untimely death.)

Asimov's Three Laws (the three laws of robotics created by S.F. writer Isaac Asimov)

A History Behind Gynoids (comprehensive site related to Galatea and gynoid technology)