The Contemporary Dilemmas of Narcissus and Pygmalion. A Study of the Aesthetics of Life
The Contemporary Dilemmas of Narcissus and Pygmalion. A Study of the Aesthetics of Life
Author(s): Roman KubickiSubject(s): Philosophy, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Studies of Literature, Philosophical Traditions, Social Philosophy
Published by: Łódzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe
Keywords: fiction; culture; myth; nature; modernity; image; lust
Summary/Abstract: This article presents two characters from the Greek mythology: Narcissus and Pygmalion. They are two different symbols of human destiny, who share a hyperactive attitude towards unreality/fiction. In their case, what exists loses the dispute over existence with what does not exist. Contrary to Narcissus, who is the victim of this dispute, Pygmalion is its beneficiary. Narcissus loses the dispute, because he is fulfilled in contemplation; Pygmalion wins, as he has managed to make his life a part of an aesthetic experience.
Journal: Art Inquiry
- Issue Year: 2016
- Issue No: 18
- Page Range: 9-22
- Page Count: 14
- Language: English