René Girard’s concept of mimetic desire, scapegoat mechanism and biblical demystification Cover Image

Pragnienie mimetyczne, mechanizm kozła ofiarnego i biblijna demistyfikacja w myśli René Girarda
René Girard’s concept of mimetic desire, scapegoat mechanism and biblical demystification

Author(s): Bogumił Strączek
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe Franciszka Salezego (TNFS)
Keywords: Girard; mimesis; violence; scapegoat; religion; Christianity

Summary/Abstract: This article provides an overview of René Girard’s concept of mimetic desire, scapegoat mechanism and biblical demystification. It also attempts to explain the basic notions of his anthropology and to contextualize them in relation to the conceptions of philosophers like Freud, Durkheim and Nietzsche. The paper starts with an introduction to the widely discussed problem of mimetic desire. It sees Girard’s mimetic theory as a theory of conflict. Then, it analyzes how violence emerges through mimetic rivalry. From that point, the essay moves to discuss the scapegoat mechanism and the relation between violence and the sacred in archaic societies. Finally, it examines the conception of Judeo-Christian demystification of mimesis and surrogate victim.

  • Issue Year: 35/2014
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 47-56
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: English