Stanford University scholar Cynthia Haven discusses René Girard's theories on desire, mimesis, and conflict. They explore how imitation leads to competition, violence, and the role of religion in controlling chaos. The conversation touches on the power of forgiveness to break the cycle of conflict and violence. Reflecting on Girard's gentle personality and impact on those around him.
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Quick takeaways
Desire stems from imitation, fueling competition and conflict in the pursuit of self-realization.
Religion historically served to manage societal violence through scapegoating rituals, temporarily diffusing tensions.
Deep dives
Life and Career of René Girard
René Girard, born in 1923, had a multifaceted career that spanned from Avignon to Stanford University. His academic pursuits ranged from studying American and French opinion post-war to delving into the history of Avignon and the 14th-15th century at the École des Charts. Girard's unique journey eventually led him to America, with significant academic stints at Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Bryn Mawr before settling at Stanford in 1980. Bridging disciplines, his work explored the concept of mimesis, delving into how imitation fuels human behavior.
Mimesis and Desire for Being
At the core of René Girard's ideas lies the concept of mimesis, highlighting humanity's innate imitative nature. He emphasized that all desire ultimately stems from a longing to 'be' someone else, leading to a cycle of imitation and envy. Girard's insightful revelation that 'All Desire is a Desire for Being' encapsulates how individuals seek to emulate others, often fueling competition and conflict in the quest for self-realization.
Religion, Violence, and the Scapegoat Mechanism
René Girard's exploration of religion and violence challenged conventional perspectives. He posited that in archaic societies, religion served as a means to control violence through the scapegoat mechanism. By attributing conflict to an external party and carrying out rituals like sacrifice, societal tensions could be temporarily alleviated. Girard's analysis shed light on how ancient practices aimed to manage and diffuse communal discord through symbolic acts.
Forgiveness and Personal Sanctity
A central tenet of René Girard's philosophy was the transformative power of forgiveness. By advocating for personal sanctity and the acknowledgment of one's capacity for persecution, Girard underscored the importance of self-reflection and empathy. He contended that genuine forgiveness and introspection played pivotal roles in breaking the cycle of conflict, fostering reconciliation, and striving towards a more compassionate existence.
If you're always imitating others or aspiring to be something else, what's left of the "authentic" you? According to the French philosopher René Girard, not much: Nothing can be truly authentic, he argued--everything comes from somewhere else. This is just one of the many original and counterintuitive claims put forth in Girard's sweeping approach to human history. He argues it is sameness, not our difference that leads to conflict, and he sees religion as a way to contain the chaos as opposed to its first cause. Listen as Stanford University scholar Cynthia Haven speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about Girard's theories of desire and violence. The conversation also includes a discussion of the power of forgiveness to put a stop to conflict's rinse-and-repeat.
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