Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.
RENÉ GIRARD, VIOLENT ORIGINS
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René Girard's Mimetic Theory:
Unconventional Wisdom About Human Nature
Today René Girard is recognized worldwide for his theory of human behavior and human culture. In 2005 he was inducted into the Académie française, and in 2008 he received the Modern Language Association's award for Lifetime Scholarly Achievement. He is Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. But back more than 50 years ago, René Girard started teaching French literature because he needed a job... More
Photo credit: Elizabeth Bailie
Gods, Victims, & Startups
Investor Peter Thiel talks about the role of innovators in our celebrity-obsessed world in a lecture inspired by his experience as co-founder of PayPal —and by René Girard's anthropology.
Mark AnspachThe death of her father when she was eight left Sylvia Plath – in the words of her poem “The Colossus” – “married to shadow.” On February 11, 1963, Plath widowed her estranged husband, Ted Hughes, by committing suicide at age 30... More |
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Watch Timothy Snyder's René Girard Lecture
Online video of "Why Did the Holocaust Happen? A History Lesson for the Future" Delivered March 13, 2013 at Stanford.
The New Go-To Guide to Girard Is Here
Wolfgang Palaver's key study is now available for the first time in English from MSU Press.
René Girard Honored by the King of Spain
He was granted the Order of Isabella the Catholic in a private ceremony on January 25, 2013.
May 2013: Girard and International Security
The conference will take place 23-24 May in Preston, Lancashire, England.
New Online Girard Reading Group
The Australian Girard Seminar invites you to attend in person or online.