Johnathan Bi
Lecture VII: The One Who Withholds | René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Christianity exposed the injustice of scapegoating and challenged the cathartic tools used to resolve violence.
- Law, capitalism, and war act as institutions that limit and channel violence in modern society.
- Global trade, once seen as a unifying force, is now a potential source of conflict between nations.
Deep dives
The Changing Logic of Violence
The podcast explores how the logic of violence has evolved throughout history, from sticks and stones to modern warfare and nuclear weapons. The speaker discusses the increasing capacity for violence and the challenges of containing it.
The Role of Ritual and Law
The podcast explains how rituals and laws have been used to manage and contain violence. Rituals in pagan societies relied on catharsis and prestige, while modern legal systems utilize the threat of violence. Law atomizes individuals and allows for more frequent interactions, but also increases the potential buildup of violence.
Gift-giving and Capitalism
The podcast examines the relationship between gift-giving, capitalism, and trade. It highlights that gift-giving in early societies was driven by spirit and social displays, similar to the motivations behind capitalism today. Capitalism channels the same competitive and conquering drives, but in a more productive and restrained manner.
The Role of Law in Capitalism
The podcast emphasizes that capitalism depends on the rule of law to contain and regulate violent tendencies. Law acts as a monopolistic force that ensures fairness and resolves disputes, preventing violent escalations. However, the absence of such law between nations can lead to conflicts and challenges within the global capitalist system.
The End of a Relationship: Global Trade as the Breaking Point
Global trade, once seen as a mechanism to bring nations together, is now becoming the exact point of conflict, as predicted by Girard. The trade wars of the 2020s are a manifestation of this tension, and there is a fear of a major clash between the United States and China in the coming decades.
The Decline of War as an Institution
War, once governed by rituals, prohibitions, and rules, has evolved into an abstract concept of instant escalation and total domination. The breakdown of cultural and technological frictions, along with the introduction of the nuclear bomb, has removed the restraints on violence. This development increases the potential for a rapid nuclear escalation, leading to literal apocalypse. In such an apocalyptic age, Gerard suggests withdrawal from society, a radical transformation of spirit through conversion, or the cultivation of personal sanctity as potential approaches to navigate the end times.
Christianity exposed the injustice of scapegoating and, in doing so, robbed us of the cathartic tools which early human societies used to contain and resolve violence. Today, the Katechon which prevents violence from overflowing is three institutions that limit and channel violence: Law, Capitalism, and War. By tracing a genealogy for all three institutions, Girard comes to the terrifying conclusion that these final bulwarks against apocalypse are on the verge of collapse. More precisely, their collapse is already underway.
Some links to further guide your study:
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* Full transcript: https://open.substack.com/pub/johnathanbi/p/transcript-of-girard-lecture-vii
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