Faustian Bargain

A Faustian Bargain is a deal that typically involves an individual sacrificing their moral integrity or spiritual well-being for material gain, knowledge, or power.

• AKA: Deal With The Devil.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) be a metaphorical pact is derived from the legend of Faust, a character who exchanges his soul for infinite knowledge and worldly pleasures.
  • It can (typically) be associated with the exchange of one's soul for worldly gains, reflecting themes of ambition, greed, and desperation.
  • It can (often) appear as a literary or cultural motif, symbolizing the ethical dilemmas and consequences of compromising one's values.
  • It can range from being a direct bargain with a demonic figure to more metaphorical deals involving morally questionable decisions for personal benefit.
  • It can lead to temporary success followed by tragic or catastrophic outcomes, emphasizing the moral of the story about the dangers of overreaching desires.
  • It can be represented in various forms of media, including literature, films, music, and folklore, showcasing its enduring appeal and relevance across cultures.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Konrad Zuse (1910-1995)'s development of the Z3 (Computer) and Z4 (Computer) during the Nazi Government period, often viewed as a Faustian Bargain due to the moral and ethical implications of working under such a regime.
  • The classic tale of Faust, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, where Faust makes a pact with Mephistopheles to satisfy his thirst for knowledge and experience.
  • The legend of Robert Johnson at the crossroads, where he supposedly made a deal with the devil in exchange for his extraordinary skills in blues guitar.
  • Niccolò Paganini, whose exceptional violin ability was rumored to result from a pact with the devil, much like the folkloric tales surrounding his supernatural performances.
  • Giovanni Panini, said to have made a Faustian bargain to receive his great architectural and painting skills, which allowed him to create vast and detailed artworks of Roman scenery.
  • Christopher Marlowe's character Doctor Faustus, from his play "Doctor Faustus," who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for power and knowledge, only to face eternal damnation.
  • John Fian, a notorious Scottish wizard of the 16th century, who was accused of making a deal with the devil to gain magical powers, leading to his trial and execution during the North Berwick witch trials.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • A person who refuses to compromise their ethical standards or spiritual beliefs despite potential gains, which is the antithesis of a Faustian Bargain.
  • Folk tales where characters outwit the devil, preserving their souls and integrity, such as some stories in Grimm's Fairy Tales.
• See: Stith Thompson, Faust, Mephistopheles, Folklore, Christian, Witchcraft, Satan, Demon, Soul, Devil, Eternity, Damnation, Motif (folkloristics).

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References

2024

• Perplexity
  • 1. "Only too often the inventor is the idealist who, like Mephisto, tries to improve the world, only to be crushed by harsh realities. If he wants to carry through his ideas, he is forced to do business with the wielders of power, whose sense of reality is sharper and more developed." [4]. This quote suggests that inventors and idealists often have to compromise their principles and make deals with powerful entities ("wielders of power") to realize their visions, likening it to making a Faustian bargain with Mephisto from the German legend of Faust. [4]
  • Other quotes touch on his pioneering work in computing, like "The rattling of the relays of the Z4 was the only interesting thing to be experienced in Zurich's night life!" referring to his early computer the Z4. [4] And "At this time [1937] the most difficult problem with the computing machine was multiplication." [1]

[1] https://libquotes.com/konrad-zuse
[4] https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse

2017

• (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deal_with_the_Devil Retrieved:2017-6-10.
  • A deal with the devil, compact or pact with the devil is a cultural motif, best exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, but elemental to many Christian folktales. According to traditional Christian belief about witchcraft, the pact is between a person and Satan or a lesser demon. The person offers his or her soul in exchange for diabolical favours. Those favours vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, fame, or power.

    It was also believed that some persons made this type of pact just as a sign of recognizing the devil as their master, in exchange for nothing. Nevertheless, the bargain is considered a dangerous one, as the price of the Fiend's service is the wagerer's soul. The tale may have a moralizing end, with eternal damnation for the foolhardy venturer. Conversely, it may have a comic twist, in which a wily peasant outwits the devil, characteristically on a technical point. The person making the pact sometimes tries to outwit the devil, but loses in the end (e.g., man sells his soul for eternal life because he will never die to pay his end of the bargain. Immune to the death penalty, he commits murder, but is sentenced to life in prison).

    Great achievements might be credited to a pact with the devil, from the numerous European Devil's Bridges to the violin virtuosity of Niccolò Paganini to the "crossroad" myth associated with Robert Johnson.

    The "Bargain with the devil" constitutes motif number M210 and "Man sells soul to devil" motif number M211 in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature.

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