Prometheus, the judgment of the gods and the ethics of the subject. Reflections on a founding myth of modernity

Abstract

The myth of Prometheus, which is originally a Greek myth, was transformed at the end of the Middle Ages, and especially since the Renaissance, and is one of the grand myths of modernity. Its importance is such that one can say it formulates the mythical space of all modern utopias from Thomas Moore until now. It underlies all modern myths, even when it is in itself a myth. Moreover, it appears in the great critical thoughts of the burgess modernity. For this reason it also contains a key to Marxist utopian thought. This modern myth of Prometheus is closely related to the criticism of Christianity as it appears ever since the Renaissance and at the same time serves as a mythical background for the upsurge of new focuses on ethics. In what follows we try to clarify this key role of the Promethean myth. We begin by analyzing the form this myth acquires in Marxist thought. We initiate this analysis with a Prometheus introduced by Marx because it responds critically to the previous Promethean images which are encountered.