Rene Girard: Violence and Mimesis

Key Contemporary Thinkers (Polity)

by Chris Fleming

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the work of Rene Girard, thought by many to be one of the most important, if controversial, cultural theorists of the twentieth century. Girard's work is extraordinarily innovative and wide-ranging, cutting across central concerns in philosophy, psychoanalysis, literary theory, anthropology, theology, and sociology. In this much-needed introduction, Chris Fleming traces the development of Girard's thought over forty years, describing the context in which he worked and his influence on a number of disciplines. He unpacks the hypotheses at the centre of Girard's thought - mimetic desire, surrogate victimage and scapegoating, myth, ritual, and the sacred - and provides an assessment of Girard's place in the contemporary academy. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book constitutes an excellent overview of Girard's work and is essential reading for students and researchers in continental philosophy, theology, literary studies, French studies, and cultural studies.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Sociology

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2004

Reviews

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

René Girard had two problems in France : He is not gauchist and he is catholic. These 2 handicaps could have prevented him from making a university career. God bless America which can accommodate the genius not politically correct. Girard go to Stanford. It's the same for Jean-Yves Marion who go to Chicago.
How describe this book. Girard analyse the violence as the begining of religion.
Its fine analysis of the biblical texts enabled him to found the concept of the mimetic desire. that gives to us a formidable analysis method. this relates to the social life, but the conflicts, the wars, the strikes can be analyzed thus.
Read Girard may able you to understand the world.

[Von Bismarck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Girard's mimetic theory. In this book Fleming gives a good overview of Girard's extraordinary and innovative work, which is ubiquitous expands a number of disciplines. Fleming unpacks the main implications of Girard's hypothesis, and the mimetic nature of desire. Continental philosophy students would enjoy this most.

[Sofie Réz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trodde jeg kjøpte original tekst )::: ææ men det var en bra analyse!! Men syns det er rart at sosiale medier ikke nevnes på slutten.