Understanding 'Pataphysics

What is 'Pataphysics?#

'Pataphysics (always with the apostrophe) was invented by French writer Alfred Jarry in 1893. It is defined as "the science of imaginary solutions, which symbolically attributes the properties of objects, described by their virtuality, to their lineaments."

In simpler terms, 'pataphysics is a philosophy that extends beyond metaphysics as far as metaphysics extends beyond physics. Where physics describes laws governing the physical world, and metaphysics describes laws governing abstract concepts, 'pataphysics describes the laws governing exceptions to these laws.

The Clinamen#

Central to 'pataphysics is the concept of the clinamen - the minimal deviation that causes the unpredictable. In Epicurean physics, the clinamen was the slight swerve of atoms that allowed for free will and creativity. In 'pataphysics, it represents the exception that proves nothing, yet reveals everything.

Duchamp and 'Pataphysics#

Marcel Duchamp was deeply influenced by 'pataphysical thinking. His readymades, The Large Glass, and even his later works all embody 'pataphysical principles. The Fountain (a urinal signed "R. Mutt") is perhaps the most famous 'pataphysical gesture in art history - an object whose meaning exists entirely in the conceptual realm.

The Large Glass is explicitly a 'pataphysical machine. Its mechanisms - the chocolate grinder, the water mill, the malic molds - all operate according to imaginary physics. The Bride's domain exists in a dimension beyond the three we inhabit.

Elden Ring as 'Pataphysical Art#

FromSoftware didn't just reference Duchamp - they created what may be the first true 'pataphysical video game. Consider how Elden Ring operates:

• Death is not an ending but a mechanical necessity - you must die to progress
• Time loops and contradicts itself - NPCs exist in impossible timelines
• Geography is symbolic rather than logical - connections serve meaning, not physics
• The lore is intentionally incomplete - understanding comes from absence

These aren't design flaws or difficulty choices. They are 'pataphysical design decisions that mirror Duchamp's approach to art. The game operates according to imaginary solutions.

The Golden Bough Connection#

James George Frazer's The Golden Bough (1890) catalogued myths and rituals from around the world, finding common patterns in seemingly unrelated cultures. This comparative mythology influenced both Jarry's 'pataphysics and Duchamp's art.

Elden Ring draws heavily from this tradition. The Erdtree echoes the sacred trees of countless mythologies. The cycle of death and rebirth mirrors dying-and-rising god myths. FromSoftware has created a 'pataphysical mythology.