(sub)TEXT: Spirit Unbound in Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” and “Drowne’s Wooden Image” | The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast | A Philosophy Podcast and Blog (opens in new tab)

The short stories we cover in this episode pit the magic of art against that of scientific discovery. In one story, a woodcarver transcends his materials and his own humble talents to create a sculpture that bears an otherworldly resemblance to a real woman. In the other, a scientist uses his estimable but flawed powers to improve on Nature’s design by removing a birthmark from his wife’s otherwise-perfect face. The varying results of these efforts seem to correspond to the extent with which ...