As promised in my first ever blog posting, I shall now explain the meaning and significance of my blog's title.
As a child of about eight, I first came across the legend of Prometheus in the "Chandamama" magazine. (I can still vaguely bring to mind the pictures accompanying the story). The name Prometheus means "forethought" i.e. foresight.
For those unfamiliar with the legendary Greek hero, I recommend the Wikipedia entry on Prometheus.
Short summary of the legend of Prometheus
In Greek myth, Zeus, the ruler of the Olympians (collectively the Greek Gods and Goddesses), despises Mankind and plans to destroy it. Prometheus is a Titan (a kind of anti-God) who loves Mankind. To enable "Men to become as Gods", he steals fire from the Gods and gives it to Man. (Hence he is also called by his epithet as "The Fire-Bringer").
For this and other similar "transgressions", Zeus sentences Prometheus to eternal torment. Prometheus is chained to a rock and has his liver eaten every night by an eagle. During the course of the next day, the liver would regenerate, only to be eaten by the eagle again the coming night. (1)
As punishment for Mankind, Zeus sends the first Woman, Pandora, who brings with her all the ills that Mankind is subject to, the worst of all ills being "Hope".(2) & (3)
After "thrice ten-thousand years", the Greek hero Heracles (or Hercules) (ironically a son of Zeus by one of his many amorous dalliances) frees Prometheus from his torment.
As the price of his freedom, Prometheus is to reveal to Zeus a great secret, the knowledge of which will prevent his (Zeus's) downfall from Omnipotence. (4)
Prometheus and Zeus are reconciled in this version of the Greek legend.
End of summary
Observations:
1. Wonder if the eagle didn't consider the monotonous fare to be torture as well?
2. Misogyny is a recurring theme in mythology, and says something about mankind's psyche i.e. the way (many) men perceive women. (More on this in a later blog posting).
3. False hope is certainly a curse, and since it is often difficult to distinguish hope from false hope, oftentimes some (mistakenly in my view) consider hope to be a curse as well.
4. Zeus's conduct is not praiseworthy and exemplifies Lord Acton's famous adage "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." It could be argued that having saved Mankind from Zeus's wrath and ensured for it a glorious Destiny, Prometheus's decision to reconcile with Zeus was the only sensible thing to do, saving him from further torment.
And yet ..... And yet .... And yet ....
Now we come to the title of my blog.
"Prometheus Unbound" is the title of Percy Bysshe Shelley's play.
Note to myself: Read this play in its entirety sometime.
In PBS's version, Prometheus does not reveal to Zeus the secret of his (Zeus's) coming downfall. So Zeus is unable to prevent it, and gets his (well-deserved) comeuppance.
For a variety of reasons, some intensely personal, methinks this version is ultimately more satisfying. Tyrants always deserve (a) derision and (b) to be thrown off their high horse. (The Arab nations are trying the experiment as I write these lines -- let's hope something good comes of it).
(Jeez, I wonder who would be Zeus in the Indic context? Answer: One who probably imagines himself to be "Lord" Narayana perhaps?)
"The Fire-Bringer"
In August 1999, following the advice of certain persons I (incorrectly) believed worthy of my respect and esteem and trust, and disregarding the advice of one who was, I made a disastrous choice to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hoping to obtain a PhD in the newly emerging field of Computational Neuroscience. One of my primary motivations for making the choice was my intent to return to our motherland after a few years.
Well, I got my wish about returning to India. But not much else. (Not even a terminal Masters' from MIT).
Methinks the period of "thrice ten-thousand years" has elapsed, however. (Touchwood).
(Zeus, I do hope you can read this. Oh, but of course you can. You are omniscient, right? But omniscience is no guarantee of wisdom or compassion or good sense or basic decency, is it?)
Prometheus is Unbound. And he is very angry .
Coming blog postings (but maybe not the immediate next):
1.Some observations about the field of Computational Neuroscience (and Theoretical Neuroscience and Neurophysics and similar matters regarding other inter-disciplinary research fields).
2. Two of my favorite characters from fiction:
a. Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and/or
b. Golan Trevize from Isaac Asimov's "Foundations Edge".
As a child of about eight, I first came across the legend of Prometheus in the "Chandamama" magazine. (I can still vaguely bring to mind the pictures accompanying the story). The name Prometheus means "forethought" i.e. foresight.
For those unfamiliar with the legendary Greek hero, I recommend the Wikipedia entry on Prometheus.
Short summary of the legend of Prometheus
In Greek myth, Zeus, the ruler of the Olympians (collectively the Greek Gods and Goddesses), despises Mankind and plans to destroy it. Prometheus is a Titan (a kind of anti-God) who loves Mankind. To enable "Men to become as Gods", he steals fire from the Gods and gives it to Man. (Hence he is also called by his epithet as "The Fire-Bringer").
For this and other similar "transgressions", Zeus sentences Prometheus to eternal torment. Prometheus is chained to a rock and has his liver eaten every night by an eagle. During the course of the next day, the liver would regenerate, only to be eaten by the eagle again the coming night. (1)
As punishment for Mankind, Zeus sends the first Woman, Pandora, who brings with her all the ills that Mankind is subject to, the worst of all ills being "Hope".(2) & (3)
After "thrice ten-thousand years", the Greek hero Heracles (or Hercules) (ironically a son of Zeus by one of his many amorous dalliances) frees Prometheus from his torment.
As the price of his freedom, Prometheus is to reveal to Zeus a great secret, the knowledge of which will prevent his (Zeus's) downfall from Omnipotence. (4)
Prometheus and Zeus are reconciled in this version of the Greek legend.
End of summary
Observations:
1. Wonder if the eagle didn't consider the monotonous fare to be torture as well?
2. Misogyny is a recurring theme in mythology, and says something about mankind's psyche i.e. the way (many) men perceive women. (More on this in a later blog posting).
3. False hope is certainly a curse, and since it is often difficult to distinguish hope from false hope, oftentimes some (mistakenly in my view) consider hope to be a curse as well.
4. Zeus's conduct is not praiseworthy and exemplifies Lord Acton's famous adage "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." It could be argued that having saved Mankind from Zeus's wrath and ensured for it a glorious Destiny, Prometheus's decision to reconcile with Zeus was the only sensible thing to do, saving him from further torment.
And yet ..... And yet .... And yet ....
Now we come to the title of my blog.
"Prometheus Unbound" is the title of Percy Bysshe Shelley's play.
Note to myself: Read this play in its entirety sometime.
In PBS's version, Prometheus does not reveal to Zeus the secret of his (Zeus's) coming downfall. So Zeus is unable to prevent it, and gets his (well-deserved) comeuppance.
For a variety of reasons, some intensely personal, methinks this version is ultimately more satisfying. Tyrants always deserve (a) derision and (b) to be thrown off their high horse. (The Arab nations are trying the experiment as I write these lines -- let's hope something good comes of it).
(Jeez, I wonder who would be Zeus in the Indic context? Answer: One who probably imagines himself to be "Lord" Narayana perhaps?)
"The Fire-Bringer"
In August 1999, following the advice of certain persons I (incorrectly) believed worthy of my respect and esteem and trust, and disregarding the advice of one who was, I made a disastrous choice to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hoping to obtain a PhD in the newly emerging field of Computational Neuroscience. One of my primary motivations for making the choice was my intent to return to our motherland after a few years.
Well, I got my wish about returning to India. But not much else. (Not even a terminal Masters' from MIT).
Methinks the period of "thrice ten-thousand years" has elapsed, however. (Touchwood).
(Zeus, I do hope you can read this. Oh, but of course you can. You are omniscient, right? But omniscience is no guarantee of wisdom or compassion or good sense or basic decency, is it?)
Prometheus is Unbound. And he is very angry .
Coming blog postings (but maybe not the immediate next):
1.Some observations about the field of Computational Neuroscience (and Theoretical Neuroscience and Neurophysics and similar matters regarding other inter-disciplinary research fields).
2. Two of my favorite characters from fiction:
a. Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and/or
b. Golan Trevize from Isaac Asimov's "Foundations Edge".
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