Johnathan Bi Lecture IV: The Scapegoat Mechanism | René Girard's Mimetic Theory
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Dec 21, 2022 
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Trojan War and Mimetic Desire
- The Trojan War, sparked by Paris's desire for Helen, demonstrates mimetic desire and escalating violence.
- It started with a seemingly small conflict but spiraled into a decade-long war involving many.
Religion as a Survival Mechanism
- Pagan societies, defined by their pre-Christian religions, faced a recurring problem of escalating violence.
- Girard argues that religion evolved as a necessary survival mechanism to address this.
Reciprocal Violence and Religion
- Reciprocal violence, a cycle of escalating vengeance, threatened early human groups.
- Surviving groups developed cultural processes, like religion, as a solution.