Johnathan Bi cover image

Lecture VII: The One Who Withholds | René Girard's Mimetic Theory

Johnathan Bi

CHAPTER

Mimetic Contagion - The End of the Plague on Ettipus

Before Christ, groups used to attribute all the blame to a single relatively innocent scapegoat and in an act of violent expulsion, achieve catharsis in peace. Gerard reminds us that what is constant is the level of catharsis we need to feel peace, and thus the degree of blame remains the same. What's changed is how many people we need to blame to be convinced. We can no longer believe one single person is to blame for everything. As the power of the mechanism breaks down, sacrifices at a larger and larger scale must persist to achieve the same calming effect.

00:00
Transcript
Play full episode

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
App store bannerPlay store banner