In antiquity the oikos was already under assault: Where the fragile relation between gift and return gift, credit and repayment, has been thrown off balance – this is where the search begins for the parasite, who enriches himself at the household’s expense. With a performance part mimesis, part transformation, the parasite solves crises, yet he also stimulates exclusion strategies. Based on concepts developed by Michel Serres and on economic theory from antiquity onward, this PhD project examines typical stages in the development of a parasite economy; the focus is on the French enlightenment, naturalism, realism and the modern age.
This Ph.D. thesis is being written within the program “Ancient Languages and Texts” (ALT) of the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies (BerGSAS).
Research
This Ph.D. thesis is being written within the program “Ancient Languages and Texts” (ALT) of the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies (BerGSAS).