From Desire to Scapegoats and Sacrifices

Just listened to the Philospher's Zone again, discussion some ideas by Rene Girard.
There is an interesting "pathway" that Girard notices:

• Desire is "learned" from others by mimicking them -- Mimesis is the technical term.
• Mimetic desire leads to conflict: from mimesis of appropriation to a mimesis of accusation
• Expulsion of a group of victims (the scapegoats) can unite the community
• This is the basis of (primitive) religion

See here for the podcast and transcript. Also of interest might be The Crowd is Untruth: a Comparison of Kierkegaard and Girard

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