Medieval & Modern Philosophy · 20th century
Girard & Mimetic Desire
René Girard's theory: desire is imitated, imitation breeds rivalry, rivalry escalates into crisis resolved by a scapegoat, and the Gospels expose the mechanism; plus its influence on Peter Thiel.
Step 1 of 4 · Overview25 min read ·
Key idea
Prereqs: Wanting (Burgis book notes). Next: Skin in the Game; Reflexivity & narratives in markets. Sources: Girard, *Deceit, Desire and the Novel* (1961), *Violence and the Sacred* (1972), *I See Satan Fall Like Lightning* (1999); Wolfgang Palaver, *René Girard's Mimetic Theory* (2013).Next: 1. The triangle