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René Girard
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Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World First Edition

by René Girard (Author), Stephen Bann (Translator), Michael Metteer (Translator)
4.4 out of 5 stars 165
#1 Best Seller in Literary Theory
See all formats and editions
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An astonishing work of cultural criticism, this book is widely recognized as a brilliant and devastating challenge to conventional views of literature, anthropology, religion, and psychoanalysis. In its scope and interest it can be compared with Freud's Totem and Taboo, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.

This is the single fullest summation of Girard's ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort), Girard probes an encyclopedic array of topics, ranging across the entire spectrum of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and cultural production.

Girard's point o departure is what he calles "mimesis," the conflict that arises when human rivals compete to differentiate themselves from each other, yet succeed only in becoming more and more alike. At certain points in the life of a society, according to Girard, this mimetic conflict erupts into a crisis in which all difference dissolves in indiscriminate violence. In primitive societies, such crises were resolved by the "scapegoating mechanism," in which the community, en masse, turned on an unpremeditated victim. The repression of this collective murder and its repetition in ritual sacrifice then formed the foundations of both religion and the restored social order.

How does Christianity, at once the most "sacrificial" of religions and a faith with a non-violent ideology, fit into this scheme? Girard grants Freud's point, in Totem and Taboo, that Christianity is similar to primitive religion, but only to refute Freud―if Christ is sacrificed, Girard argues, it is not becuase God willed it, but becaus ehuman beings wanted it.

The book is not merely, or perhaps not mainly, biblical exegesis, for within its scope fall some of the most vexing problems of social history―the paradox that violance has social efficacy, the function of the scapegoat, the mechanism of anti-semitism.

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0804722153
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0804722155
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 1987
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  7. Print length
    470 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A necessary companion piece to Violence and the Sacred for those interested in Girard's grand theory of society and human nature. . . . Girard expounds his vision of the foundational place of mimesis, violence, and scapegoating for all human cultures. . . . More forcefully stated here than elsewhere is Girard's conviction that his thesis is merely an uncovering of the message heretofore buried in the Christian scriptures."―Virginia Quarterly Review

From the Inside Flap

An astonishing work of cultural criticism, this book is widely recognized as a brilliant and devastating challenge to conventional views of literature, anthropology, religion, and psychoanalysis. In its scope and itnerest it can be compared with Freud’s Totem and Taboo

, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.
This is the single fullest summation of Girard’s ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort), Girard probes an encyclopedic array of topics, ranging across the entire spectrum of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and cultural production.
Girard’s point o departure is what he calles “mimesis,” the conflict that arises when human rivals compete to differentiate themselves from each other, yet succeed only in becoming more and more alike. At certain points in the life of a society, according to Girard, this mimetic conflict erupts into a crisis in which all difference dissolves in indiscriminate violence. In primitive societies, such crises were resolved by the “scapegoating mechanism,” in which the community, en masse, turned on an unpremeditated victim. The repression of this collective murder and its repetition in ritual sacrifice then formed the foundations of both religion and the restored social order.
How does Christianity, at once the most “sacrificial” of religions and a faith with a non-violent ideology, fit into this scheme? Girard grants Freud’s point, in Totem and Taboo

, that Christianity is similar to primitive religion, but only to refute Freud—if Christ is sacrificed, Girard argues, it is not becuase God willed it, but becaus ehuman beings wanted

it.
The book is not merely, or perhaps not mainly, biblical exegesis, for within its scope fall some of the most vexing problems of social history—the paradox that violance has social efficacy, the function of the scapegoat, the mechanism of anti-semitism.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stanford University Press; First Edition (June 1, 1987)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 470 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0804722153
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0804722155
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 165

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René Girard

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
165 global ratings
Kindle version not oriented correctly
1 Star
Kindle version not oriented correctly
I bought the Kindle version and had to return it for refund. As the image shows it was oriented 90 degrees incorrectly. Even on mobile devices turning the device 90 degrees doesn't fix the problem . This is not a criticism of the book rather criticism of whoever produced the Kindle version. I would still love to buy it if it can be fixed.
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Top reviews from the United States

Burke
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2019
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This is Girards masterpiece. Ignore the negative reviews and read the book on your own. I find it hard to believe that people can’t follow the introduced topics, this is normal for philosophy.

The recommendation of this book by Peter Thiel has brought a lot of people to it which is a good thing but those who complain they don’t understand it seem to be expecting it to read like your average fluff management book.

Please, this man is an intellectual and his ideas are revolutionary. The disciplines have a habit of attacking anyone who crosses disciplinary lines into interdisciplinary thought and this is no surprise at all. Read it for yourself and be open minded. Girard is not just a historian, not just a literary critic, and not just a philosopher.

More than any other book in this century that I’ve read, this has been the most life changing. I found the theories practical (shown in the secondary literature) and life affirming.
135 people found this helpful
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Tuck Newport
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great books of the 20th Century
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2009
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Girard was a contemporary and colleague of the early deconstructionists, a French intellectual and professor of literature whose fascination with Cervantes, Dostoevsky, Proust and Shakespeare led him to approach texts as though they demonstrate the dynamics underlying human behavior. This is, of course, the antithesis of the deconstructionist perspective that literary texts are self-referential rather than tools for understanding external reality. Girard has spent the intervening half century exploring anthropology, sociology, psychology, history and religion through the lens of textual analysis, with astonishing results. It is one of the ironies with which history is replete that methods intended to deconstruct literature have been put to use by Girard to give it new, and powerful relevance. This book, and the rest of his work, will change the way you view the world. The more widely you have read, the more profoundly it will inform you.
69 people found this helpful
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Curtis Gruenler
5.0 out of 5 stars Key work by one of the 20th century's major thinkers
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2021
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This remains the most comprehensive and profound statement of Girard's work, which initiated an interdisciplinary paradigm that has come to be known as mimetic theory and which is equally transformative and liberating at a personal, practical level. For more on mimetic theory and Girard's ongoing legacy, see the work of the scholars and practitioners who gather as the Colloquium on Violence and Religion and its affiliated organizations.
7 people found this helpful
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Jeremy Myers - Writing at RedeemingGod
4.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary Insight ... Difficult to Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2014
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As I continue to research and write about the violence of God in the Old Testament, a reader of my blog told me to read Girard. So I bought most of his books and am working through them in the order in which they were written.

I really think Girard is on to something with his theory of mimetic rivalry. However, Girard is not easy reading. Maybe it is the translation from French that is the problem.

Regardless, if you can wade through all the technical stuff of the first 150 pages, the last 150 pages of this book are quite insightful and helpful for understanding how violence occurs and what God is doing about it in Jesus Christ.

However, since the book is so difficult to read, I only recommend it for those who like reading about psychology and cultural anthropology. Some of Girard's other books (or books that have spawned from his thesis) would be better suited for the average reader who wants to understand Girard's mimetic theory.
39 people found this helpful
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Don K
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book, timely delivered without a problem.
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2019
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Terrific book, timely delivered without a problem.
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Ada Casazza
5.0 out of 5 stars A profound and meaingful book
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2014
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A deep and thick book in terms of content. It is not for everyone. Girard points out the patterns in the formation of all cultures, how religion and mythology interconnect and how primitive religion changed with the Jewish/Christian era. Finally one sees that all those patterns are still going on today. It was very thought provoking!
29 people found this helpful
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Easy and Mert
1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Version unreadable due to wrong orientation of text
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
The Kindle version of this book is alas, unreadable. It is laid out so that the text is sideways, lines reading from bottom to top of page. Possible a PDF uploaded incorrectly to the Kindle Store? In any event, fortunately I noticed this during the return period, so Amazon returned my purchase price for the unreadable Kindle version. But, a waste of time!
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Gauhri
5.0 out of 5 stars we are still savages who lack self awareness
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2020
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Explains why democrats want trumps blood, oh lamb of god who takrst away sins of the world, before lambs head is axed off
12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cody Charles
5.0 out of 5 stars The word play is scrupulous
Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2019
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This book should take you time to process I ordered 14 books and breezed through them then this book, halted me lol it's been time i've read it once quick but you have to go slow, I'd recommend taking notes on all the words so you can look at your notes while you read to take it all in, big words.
One person found this helpful
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ANA VELA
3.0 out of 5 stars Portada en Blanco y Negro
Reviewed in Mexico on September 15, 2018
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El libro llegó con portada blanco y negro y no a color
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ron mccoy
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent memetic theory book
Reviewed in Canada on September 16, 2016
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excellent memetic theory book. I am so happy I have read this book. Memetic theory should
change our out look on the world and how we address things
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Francesca
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2018
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Incredible and fairly easy to read. LOVE it.
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