Les deux visages de la science

Abstract

The paper is about the ambivalence of science status in Villiers’ work : a sort of fascination for scientifical process and its technical results is combined with metaphysical (philosophical and occult) demands which limit and contradict them. The aim of the paper is so double. The first question is to evaluate the contrasting status of scientifical process in Villiers’ narrative works. Then we examine the novel L’Eve future as focused on the production of an Android : this production doesn’t give rise to a naive evocation of technical intelligence and its material power but it rather concerns the idealizing function of art and even the occult power of “Mind”.

Keywords

• body-mind
• Hegelianism
• ideal
• nature-art
• science
• technics