Welcome! 

You have found your way to the Prometheus Rising blog, where we will be discussing the Greek mythological figure of Prometheus and what he has come to represent in our modern world.  Many of you might know Prometheus as the titan that defied Zeus in giving the knowledge of fire to the human race, but he is so much more than a god defying titan - in his defiance he is the savior of the human race but what he has come to represent goes much deeper and farther than even that.  He has been compared to figures within 'modern' religions, often referred to as a Christ-like being or even compared to the god defying figure of Satan!  We will take a look at both the ancient myth but also some modern literature that reflects Prometheus such as Percy Shelley's Prometheus Unbound or the more famous novel written by Percy's wife, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or A Modern Prometheus, as well as a more recent work by Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising. Discussion of these texts will allow us to gain a better understanding of how mythology reflects the human condition and the insight that can be gleaned from these ancient stories and applied to our moderns lives.

The Ancient Myth

Prometheus is a titan, from the generation of gods that came before the Olympians, the gods we all know as the Greek pantheon lead by Zeus. If it was not for Prometheus then the Olympians would have lost the great war against the titans along with all their power as they were cast out of Olympus. If this is truly the case then Zeus owed much to Prometheus, but quickly forgot this when Prometheus defied Zeus.  The way that Prometheus defied Zeus was in giving his love and devotion not to Zeus but to the race of man.  He did this in several ways.  First he advocated for the humans, who Zeus wished to destroy (as he had done several times before).  Secondly, against Zeus' wishes, Prometheus gave to man the knowledge of fire, a power that belonged to the gods.  Thirdly, he tricked Zeus in accepting an offering of animal bones wrapped in fat, allowing the humans to possess the meat of the animal, which Zeus rejected because it was wrapped and disguised in animal offal. All of this angered Zeus, and being a powerful and vengeful god he sought retribution upon Prometheus.

It is because Prometheus devoted himself to mankind that he drew the wrath of Zeus upon himself.  As punishment Zeus ordered Prometheus to be bound to a rock upon a mountain, and his liver eaten by a great eagle each day. Because he was immortal his liver would regrow each night for the torture to continue into eternity, unless he was to give into Zeus.  Knowing Prometheus' love for humankind, Zeus focused his vengeance upon them by sending Pandora and her box of evils to earth and in doing so creates suffering and havoc among the humans. Zeus desired Prometheus to devote himself to the gods once again, and to prove this devotion Prometheus was to reveal the truth about a prophecy that detailed the overthrow of Zeus.  Prometheus struggled within himself, and suffered internally because of this struggle just as he suffered externally but in the end did not give into Zeus and his violent ways.

Prometheus as Christ and Satan

Prometheus can be seen as both a Christ like figure while also containing important aspects of Satan.  Like Christ, Prometheus suffered for humankind, allowing himself to be subjected to torture and crucifixion for the benefit of man.  He does so because he loves the humans and sees the potential within them.  At the same time he portrays Satan, as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose actions lead to Adam and Eve being cast out of the garden.  Prometheus, in defying Zeus and giving the gift of fire to man, is literally the bringer of light - representing the giver of knowledge, otherwise known as Lucifer. This knowledge given to the humans by Prometheus mirrors the knowledge gained by Adam and Eve after the serpent convinces them to partake of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The fire that Prometheus provides to the humans is the catalyst for both the realization of their potential and the suffering they experience.  Without the knowledge and skill given by Prometheus or the serpent, the humans can never grow to reach their potential but also would never experience the suffering that is brought upon them when the gods unleash Pandora on earth or when Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden, putting an end to the paradise they experienced until that point.
 

A Modern Prometheus

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein can be interpreted as a modern tale of Prometheus and gives us a look into the dark heart of man when power and reputation is valued above love and life. To the uninitiated, Frankenstein is a tale of an evil monster rebelling against his good master and creator, but this is not so, in fact quite the opposite. The tale is one in which the creator has forsaken his creation, and from this rejection results suffering and death.  Victor Frankenstein sought to create life, so that he could make a name and reputation for himself, and in the process thought to become a sort of god. Thomas Vargish in his Technology and Impotence in Frankenstein states that Frankenstein "imagines his creatures' gratitude flowing his way rather than recognizing his obligations toward [him]."  Just as Zeus created humankind and subsequently destroyed the first few incarnations in disgust, when Frankenstein first sees the deformed creature he becomes disgusted, and casts his creation out into the world hoping for his destruction.   

Frankenstein's monster can be seen to share many aspects with Prometheus but also with the forsaken humans, as he represents a great potential - but one that is not realized by his creator.  At first he hides away but begins to see the good in life, desiring human contact and love, the spark of Prometheus' fire begins to burn.  But it is not long before he encounters the violence and rejection of a human world created by Victor and those like him who seek power and a godlike status about all else. The monster, just like Prometheus, struggles against the violence that he is subjected to and attempts to come to terms with what he sees as an unjust world, made so by the actions of Victor who is unwilling to risk his reputation (power) to ease the suffering of his monster. Vargish points out that "the monster turns to evil because it has nowhere else to go, and it has nowhere else to go because Frankenstein, its origin and source, has denied it." Frankenstein's Monster struggles against Victor in hopes that Victor will see the violence and pain that he has caused, wanting no more than to experience love and life.  But Victor, even when it is in his power to free the monster from his misery, refuses in his attempt to maintain his reputation and control of everything he sees as his.  Just like Zeus, "we come to understand that Victor doesn't value the life he is to create so much as what the creation will give him" (Lars Lunsford, The Devaluing of Life in Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN).

Prometheus Unbound

Prometheus is seen today as representing the creative soul of mankind, the potential of the human intellect. The fire of the gods, gifted to human kind by Prometheus, is the spark that ignites human intelligence.  The lyrical drama, Prometheus Unbound, by Percy Shelley gives great insight and deeper understanding of the aspect of Prometheus as human potential. Roland Duerksen states in his Shelley's Prometheus: Destroyer and Preserver that "man's mind accepts the idea of tyrannically imposed suffering and subjugation as part of the life of man."  He makes it clear that Prometheus' internal struggle against Zeus' power obsessed and vengeance oriented rule mirrors that of human society and the "power systems tolerated by a collective human mind that, though outraged, comprehends no alternative." Duerksen points out that in Prometheus Unbound Shelley portrays a Prometheus who does comprehend an alternative in which "the creativity latent within a person and within society, need[s] only the support of steadfast will...to save humanity from the recurring cycle of vengeful hatred."  

Shelley's Prometheus is one who refuses to play by the rules of the gods, not giving into Zeus' desires and demands but instead embracing the unifying truth of love that can only lead to "the mental revolution that [Shelley] considers necessary for the liberation of mankind." Prometheus represents the higher intellect that will allow humankind to forgo the violence perpetuated by those who value power over life, removing the veil of death that inhibits man from truly experiencing life.

Prometheus Rising

Robert Anton Wilson's Prometheus Rising is a collections of essays about many different topics, but they all share a unifying theme - that of the human perception and experience of reality, and the expansion of the human mind.  Wilson (or Bob), just as Prometheus did, recognizes the true potential of the human being, both as an individual and as a member of society.  Many times will he point out that while there may be a single truth out there, there are many ways to experience this truth; we all live within our own 'reality tunnels.'  Because he realizes that each individual sees the universe in a different light he is reluctant to disregard any one reality tunnel, but what he does disregard is a belief that one's own reality tunnel is the only truth. With this openness of mind, Bob takes all disciplines such as science, art, literature, the occult, and religion among many others and delves deep into each one.  The gaining and acceptance of this knowledge allows one to alter their reality tunnel, and Bob would say that the ultimate goal would be the willful altering of one's own reality tunnel. Bob really puts things in perspective when he speaks about the amount of knowledge possessed by humans, but the amazing part is the exponential growth of our knowledge and the speed in which this knowledge affects our realities.  For an excellent example of this increase in knowledge I encourage you all to view a TED Talks video of David Christian's Big History:

While David's presentation really makes us realize not only the immensity of the process that has lead to humans and their ability to accumulate knowledge but also the uniqueness of the human potential, it seems to leave something out. Bob's point is shared by David but Bob focuses more on the human experience and not as much on how it is that we came to become beings of experience.  For Bob it is the knowledge and how we allow it to change us that is important.  If we are to give into the system, one that seems to follow a Zeusian philosophy in which power is more important than life, then we are only leading ourselves towards a reality which places more importance on "how to deliver more and more explosive power over longer and longer distances in shorter and shorter times to kill more and more people" (Bob reflecting on he pursuit of power). If we are to follow this to its logical conclusion then humans don't have a chance in hell to make it out alive. But if we allow ourselves to experience a Promethean Transformation  (as Roland Duerksen puts it) and instead embrace a philosophy of life and love, pursuing knowledge not for power but for the in-betterment of all then we will experience the true potential of human intellect, Prometheus Rising.


Bob, himself, speaking about his book Prometheus Rising:

I hope you enjoyed my Blog posting about Prometheus Rising, and hope it accomplishes the goal of showing how mythology can be applied to and reflects our modern lives but also how it can change our point of view and allow us to move towards a better future.

Please feel free to post comments or questions, I would love to discuss these ideas further.