The Myth of Materialism and the Subject of Modernity: Pygmalion in the Works of André-François Boureau-Deslandes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Abstract

The article argues that the Pygmalion myth in the works of André-François Boureau-Deslandes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau can be studied as a metaphor for the modern subject, highlighting the ambivalence of modernity. By closely reading the texts, the authors show that the Enlightenment versions of the Pygmalion myth present both a reality and an illusion, and the balance of knowing and not-knowing allows for their critical assessment. Drawing on academic publications on the subject of modernity, the study posits that it is split between myth and enlightenment, and the Pygmalion myth sheds light on this dichotomy. In the framework of conceptual metaphor theory, the study demonstrates that artists use this myth to contemplate on their works and present the mythical consciousness of the subject but they also strive to demythologize it according to their understanding or not-understanding of the miracle. Mythical consciousness enables Pygmalion to realize the miracle of animation either through the materialist philosophy of André-François Boureau-Deslandes or the sentimentalism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau but the sculptor risks becoming a slave to mythology orinstrumental reason. The dialectic of the myth captures the moment when Pygmalion may either give in to the illusion or doubt the credibility of the miracle.