Philosopher's Zone René Girard and victimhood
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Sep 21, 2023 
French philosopher René Girard discusses the prevalence of victim politics, his theory of collective violence and scapegoating, the impact of culture on politics, the role of narrative and myth in victimhood, the influence of social media, and the portrayal of victimhood on Instagram.
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Scapegoating in Societies
- Human societies are based on collective violence and scapegoating, going back to our origins.
- This "surrogate victim-age mechanism" differentiates human societies from animal societies.
Mimetic Desire and Scapegoating
- Humans learn desires by mimicking others, leading to conflict over limited resources.
- This mimetic desire creates a Hobbesian "war of all against all," resolved by scapegoating.
Victimhood as Moral Authority
- Victimhood grants moral authority, making it a convenient political tool.
- Modern culture wars exploit this, with individuals claiming victim status for various reasons.