Description
Book SynopsisArchery and the Human Condition in Lacan, the Greeks, and Nietzsche showcases archery as a metaphor for the fundamental tension at the heart of the human condition. Matthew Meyer develops a theory of subjectivity that incorporates elements from psychoanalysis, Greek literature, philosophy, and Zen archery, bringing together allusions to the bow and archery made by Sophocles, Homer, Heraclitus, Aristotle, Lacan, Nietzsche, and Awa Kenzo. The book weaves together a psychoanalytic account of infant development, the obstacles faced by Greek heroes, and virtue theory to explore the tension between the forces inside and outside of the human that subject it to conditions beyond its control. Meyer develops this side of the tension through Jacques Lacan's theory of human drive, illustrating the three parts of drive theory through application to three works in Greek literature and philosophy. The second part of the text describes the other side of this fundamental tension--the ability to control
Trade ReviewArchery and the Human Condition offers unique and insightful exploration of cultural and psychological constructions the bow as a metaphor for the human condition. In this innovative and far-reaching analysis, Matthew P. Meyer invokes and illuminates the work of Heraclitus, Nietzsche, Lacan and several eastern philosophical and religious thinkers, weaving many historical threads into a seamless narrative. -- Carol Poster, independent scholar
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Bows, Arrows, and Archers Chapter 1: The Tension of the Bow Chapter 2: Philoctetes’ Bow: The Concept of Need Chapter 3: Heraclitus’ Bow: Desire and Death Chapter 4: Odysseus’ Bow: Demand and the Ego Chapter 5: Aristotle’s Archer: Killing the Ego and Self-Transformation Conclusion: The Bow with the Greatest Tension Epilogue: The Human Condition and Ten Rules of Archery
