Lecture VII: The One Who Withholds | René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Johnathan Bi
00:00
The Gentleman's Wars of the 17th and 18th Century
There are two types of frictions that prevent rival armies from deploying their forces at once. The first is technological, and the terrain that you have to traverse to get your troops up to the battlefield. The second has cultural frictions, the rituals and prohibitions in war which made war into an institution. These frictions often delayed violence and gave both parties space to de-escalate. It's very much like personal rivalries where taking time away from your rival is very important for spirit to cool off and being able to use reason.
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