Dorschel’s Verwandlung.
Mythologische Ansichten, technologische Absichten [Mutation.
Mythological Views, Technological Purposes] (2009) represents a philosophical history of the idea of metamorphosis – “shaded in many nuances”.
Metamorphosis, Dorschel points out, defies analysis in terms of change.
Change is supposed to be a rational pattern: A thing remains what it is while its features alter.
But where does a thing cease to be that thing, where do its features commence?
Whatever were that thing devoid of its features?
Hence, historically, the concept of change was shadowed by the idea of metamorphosis or mutation.
Dorschel highlights this idea, setting forth – in four case studies – the character of metamorphosis in Graeco-Roman mythology, in the New Testament, in modern alchemy, and, finally, in current genetic engineering and synthetic biology.
Dorschel’s Verwandlung. Mythologische Ansichten, technologische Absichten [Mutation. Mythological Views, Technological Purposes] (2009) represents a philosophical history of the idea of metamorphosis – “shaded in many nuances”. Metamorphosis, Dorschel points out, defies analysis in terms of change. Change is supposed to be a rational pattern: A thing remains what it is while its features alter. But where does a thing cease to be that thing, where do its features commence? Whatever were that thing devoid of its features? Hence, historically, the concept of change was shadowed by the idea of metamorphosis or mutation. Dorschel highlights this idea, setting forth – in four case studies – the character of metamorphosis in Graeco-Roman mythology, in the New Testament, in modern alchemy, and, finally, in current genetic engineering and synthetic biology.
Andreas Dorschel