The Revelatory Power of Mimetic Theory: Reading René Girard, Texts and the World

A one-of-a-kind overview of the lasting impact of mimetic theory and the extent of its interdisciplinary applications, a century after René Girard’s birth.

Bringing together a team of established scholars from different disciplines, this collection assesses how much the theory has developed over Girard’s lifetime and beyond. Literary texts and myths are analysed through a mimetic lens, revealing the underlying patterns of rivalry, violence, and sacrifice. Mimetic theory is then applied to real-world phenomena, such as terrorism, social conflict, and ecological crises, demonstrating its relevance in the 21st century.

Each chapter collected here demonstrates mimetic theory’s on-going capacity to open up new avenues in philosophy, disability studies, literature and beyond. Girard argued that texts, whether religious, literary, or anthropological reveal fundamental aspects of the world. Inspired by this chapters drawing on a rich selection of works and authors including DH Lawrence, Oedipus Rex, Hannah Arendt, and Michel Houellebecq to reveal innovative uses of his theory.

By illustrating how Girard’s ideas are being used by specialists and practitioners across diverse fields, this expansive exploration of mimetic theory tackles timely topics from social media and terrorism prevention to toxic masculinity and conspiracy theories. It is for anyone interested in understanding human behavior and culture from multiple perspectives.

Paul Dumouchel is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Québec-Montréal, Canada.

Benoît Chantre is President of the Mimetic Research Association, France.