The Theory of Cultural Origins by René Girard

René Girard advances his theory of cultural origins as a speculative but still scientific hypothesis. It's scientific in the first place because it demands no foresight or planning on the part of those who founded the first cultures. But instead shows how sacrifice could have derived entirely from the playing out of mimetic rivalries within early human groups. He also sheds light on one of anthropology's longest-standing problems: How do account for the family resemblance between sacrificial rituals all over the world?