Is life a labyrinth where our spirit is trying to go from one point to another, from A to B ? What is the expectation of the path if there is no end ?
The answer is: drop the expectation.

“Zeus could never untangle the nets of stone that surround me. I have forgotten the man I once was, I follow the hateful path of monotonous walls which is my destiny. Straight galleries which curve in secret circles as the year wear on. Parapets cracked by the usury of so many days…”

From “The Labyrinth” from Jorge Luis Borges.

Labyrinth is a classic mathematical problem to solve, finding the shorter way between A to B.
What is the shorter way between two points, in an empty space where obstacles or constraints don’t exist ? It is the segment of a straight line connecting those two points.
But in the real world, the one where we are living, the one with nature, artificial worlds that we are creating with networks of roads, trains, communication, Internet… The shortest path depends on the constraints of the environment, obstacles and the displacement capabilities of the entity that travels.

In the virtual world of the game of Chess, Alice from Alice in the Wonderland, will discover that when she is a part of the game, the shorter path between two cases, is not the same for a Queen, a Rook, a Knight or a King. The shorter path to exit the game, is the shorter path that can be supported by the player and the labyrinth is a particular variant of this problem.

In the labyrinth, the shorter path to the exit is the way that actually let’s you leave outside. All others ways are diversions.

Some labyrinth were intentionally constructed, in Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. It’s function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the hero Theseus.

Once the Minotaur was killed, the King Minos was so furious that he decided to put Daedalus and his son into the Labyrinth. Daedalus had so cunningly made the Labyrinth, that he could barely escape it himself after he built it, so he created wings with feathers and wax for his son Icarus. Icarus and Daedalus attempt to escape by air, so Icarus father warned his son to fly neither too low or too high and not to fly to close to the sun and avoid falling. Icarus was so joyful to fly that he ignored his father’s instructions and the wax melted in his wings and he fell into the sea.

This tragedy is the beginning of more dramatic inventions from Daedalus of Ancient Greek legend. He then conceived a succession of creations in order to stop previous mistakes he created. A vicious circle was created from the skilled craftsman. Daedalus denotes that he uses his intelligence to respond to cruel desires from Kings and he found himself trapped in terrible tragedies.

Daedalus or Science and the Future ?

This story highlights the problems posed by science and modern technology. Like Daedalus who thought he was always solving problems that he created, with a continuous circle of tragedies. The problems caused by the precedents never ends, has the same image of science today that transgresses the order of the Universe and universal laws.
Daedalus is the metaphor of technicians and scientists with a lot of creativity but unconscious and irresponsible. Here is the poison of our era. As Daedalus, it hides the evil without consciousness. A world without conscious is a labyrinth without an end.

Finally only Theseus, the hero, the one who was conscious did escape the Labyrinth.

08 Feb 2019
Sophie Foucher