Are religions intrinsically violent (as is strenuously argued by the new atheists )? Or, as Girard argues, have they been functionally rational instruments developed to manage and cope with the intrinsically violent runaway dynamic that characterizes human social organization in all periods of human history? Is violence decreasing in this time of secular modernity post-Christendom (as argued by Steven Pinker and others)? Or are we, rather, at increased and even apocalyptic risk from our enhanced powers of action and our decreased socio-symbolic protections? Rene Girard s mimetic theory has...
Are religions intrinsically violent (as is strenuously argued by the new atheists )? Or, as Girard argues, have they been functionally rational instru...
From his groundbreaking "Violence and the Sacred "and "Things Hidden since the Foundation of the World," Rene Girard s mimetic theory is presented as elucidating the origins of culture. He posits that archaic religion (or the sacred ), particularly in its dynamics of sacrifice and ritual, is a neglected and major key to unlocking the enigma of how we became human. French philosopher of science Michel Serres states that Girard s theory provides a Darwinian theory of culture because it proposes a dynamic, shows an evolution and gives a universal explanation. This major claim has, however,...
From his groundbreaking "Violence and the Sacred "and "Things Hidden since the Foundation of the World," Rene Girard s mimetic theory is presented as ...
