Rene Girard, Mimesis & Theory. Essays on Literature and Criticism, 1953–2005 (review) (original) (raw)

Rene Girard and the Phenomenology of Mimetic Desire

STUDIA Z TEORII WYCHOWANIA TOM XIV: 2023 NR 2(43), 2023

René Girard has been critiqued for failing to ground his theory of mimetic desire in a discursive and philosophically robust framework. In order to meet this objection, I argue that René Girard's theory of mimetic desire can be successfully motivated by a phenomenology of the emptiness of selfhood and intersubjectivity. After grounding Girard's theory in a phenomenology of no-self, I reconstruct Girard's argument that violence is a necessary consequence of internally mediated mimetic desire  .

Mimesis and Violence - An Introduction to the Thought of René Girard

Australian Religion Studies Review, 2002

This essay provides an overview of the thought of the French literary and cultural theorist Rene Girard and attempts to contextualise his work in relation to other cultural thinkers such as Emile Durkheim and Friedrich Nietzsche. The essay begins with his theorisation of 'mimetic desire, 'the explanatory schema Girard utilises to theorise interpersonal relations, which involves a construal of desire as preeminently imitative; this model suggests that human beings learn what to desire from observing and copying others. From there, the essay moves on to discuss the 'scapegoat' or 'victimage' mechanism, Girard's hypothesis for how cultural and religious formation takes place through the banishment or lynching of an emissary victim in order to initiate and sustain cultural stability. Finally, the essay examines the relationship between the Judea-Christian scriptures and the scapegoat mechanism, looking at Girard's depiction of the Bible as representing a trenchant critique of violence, especially those forms of violence unconsciously used in the service of social unification.

Introduction Intersubjectivity, Desire, and Mimetic Theory: René Girard and Psychoanalysis

T he aim of this special collection of essays, titled Intersubjectivity, Desire, and Mimetic Theory: René Girard and Psychoanalysis, is to reappraise the relationship between René Girard's thought and the psychoanalytic tradition. The tripartite structure of the title clearly echoes the English title of Girard's first book, Deceit, Desire and the Novel, with which he introduced the psychological dynamics of mimetic desire as represented in modern European novels. 1 Through the reference to the intentionally broad notions of "intersub-jectivity," "desire," and "mimetic theory," our title also signals the intention to cover the multifarious aspects and issues that inform Girard's thinking in relation to core issues of psychoanalysis, by casting the net very broadly and exploring the theoretical implications of the encounter between the mimetic and the psychoanalytic discourse in a variety of fields and disciplines, such as philosophy, literary criticism, anthropology, psychotherapy, neuropsychology, and socio-psychology. On the one hand, this collection discusses the potential theoretical and discursive integrations that mimetic theory would need in order to account for various psychological manifestations, including psychopatholo-gies of different kinds, and social phenomena; on the other hand, the collection

An Introduction to the Work of René Girard

Over the years, several authors have written comprehensive summaries of Girard's oevre as well as book-length introductions. 1 This article does not seek to repeat their work. Instead, I shall attempt to introduce Girard by selectively engaging with his work. Beginning with the trajectory of Girard's intellectual quest, I shall outline first the main features and implications of his theory, followed by an account of his recognition as well as typical criticisms. Then I shall relate Girard's anthropology to the Judeo-Christian tradition, and lastly-albeit briefly-address the question of relevance of Girard's theory for the severity of the current global crisis.

Literature and Culture in Rene Girard’s Mimetic Theory

2021

Great novels are always born out of an obsession that has been overcome. This is René Girard’s summary of what he considers the most important project in all the fiction. Scientific novelty of this study is determined by the fact that Girard not only follows his early observation but also has been supporting and developing it for fifty years. This observation made in his first book, “Deception, Desire, and Novel”, lays the foundation for a theoretical background for his further work. This structure is mimetic theory. It deals with the phenomenon of mimetic desire in both literal and non-literal ways. The practical relevance of the study is determined by the fact that, according to Girard’s work, there is no more suitable tool for overcoming mimetic obsession than fiction. Girard referred to his collection of favorite novels and dramas while insisting that literature is no longer that significant for him as it has been before. © 2021 IJSCL. All rights reserved. 1 PhD Candidate, Email...