What is an example of mimetic theory?

Noah’s flood which appears in many religions is an example of mimetic conflict being washed away by sacrifice. “There is not prohibition which cannot be related to mimetic conflict.” The rivalry is always over some scarce object, it is acquisitive mimesis, the desire of many for something scarce.

What are the three items in the triangulation of desire in Girard’s mimetic theory?

Triangular Desire. Mimetic desire involves a subject (the person desiring), an object (the thing being desired), and a mediator (the person modeling desire) between the two. These three points, when mapped, form a triangle.

Who is the proponent of mimetic theory?

The best-known proponent of mimesis is Aristotle, who in the Poetics extoled “man’s natural propensity, from childhood onwards, to engage in mimetic activity (and this distinguishes man from other creatures, that he is thoroughly mimetic, and through mimesis takes his first steps in understanding” (Aristotle 1987, p.

What is mimetic behavior?

The mimetic theory of desire is an explanation of human behavior and culture which originated with the French historian and polymath René Girard. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.”

Why is the mimetic theory important?

Mimetic theory is important because it allows us to think clearly and honestly about the greatest threat to human survival: our own violence. It offers the best available analysis of the causes of conflict, the contagion of violence, and the pervasive use of scapegoating by individuals and communities.

How do you use mimetic theory in literature?

In literature, authors and playwrights use vocal mimesis by endowing a character with the accent, inflection, and other speech patterns of someone of a certain region or socioeconomic level. A good example of vocal mimesis is in the classic play, Desire under the Elms by Eugene O’Neill.

What is Girard’s mimetic theory?

Mimetic Desire. Girard’s fundamental concept is ‘mimetic desire’. If people imitate each other’s desires, they may wind up desiring the very same things; and if they desire the same things, they may easily become rivals, as they reach for the same objects. Girard usually distinguishes ‘imitation’ from ‘mimesis’.

What is the importance of mimetic theory?

What is mimetic contagion?

In mimetic theory, mimetic contagion refers to the rapid and spontaneous spread of mimetic desires through a society. Mimetic desire leads to mimetic rivalry, which leads to scandal, increasing levels of violence, then scapegoating, and later rationalization.

How do mimetic theories view literature?

The mimetic theory of literary criticism places primary importance on how well a literary work imitates life. In practice, mimetic critical theory often asks how well the literary work conveys universal truths and teaches the reader positive moral values and modes of personal conduct.

What is mimetic theory of literature?

Mimetic theory is a view that conceptualizes literature and art as. essentially an imitation of aspects of the universe. It grew out. of the idea of mimesis in early Greek thought and then. became the foundation and mainstream of Western literary thought.

How is Girard’s concept of mimesis different from imitation?

Girard’s fundamental concept is ‘mimetic desire’. If people imitate each other’s desires, they may wind up desiring the very same things; and if they desire the same things, they may easily become rivals, as they reach for the same objects. Girard usually distinguishes ‘imitation’ from ‘mimesis’.

Who is Peter Thiel and what did he do?

More recently, Thiel has been at the center of a media firestorm for his role in bankrolling Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, which outed Thiel as gay in 2007 and whose journalists he has described as “terrorists.”

Who inspired Peter Thiel to become an investor in Facebook?

We find his answer in an obituary for René Girard (who died in November 2015), which reports that Thiel “credits Girard with inspiring him to switch careers and become an early, and well-rewarded, investor in Facebook.”

What is Girard’s theory of mimetic desire?

Girard, in contrast, situates imitative behaviors within a general social theory of desire. Girard’s theory of mimetic desire is simple in its basic framework but has permitted complex, detailed analyses of a wide range of cultural and social phenomena.

Is mimeticism the best theory of meme theory?

Indeed, the traction achieved by the term “meme” has made most of us witting or unwitting adopters of meme theory. Yet as Matthew Taylor has argued, Girard’s account of mimeticism has significant theoretical advantages over Dawkins-derived meme theory, at least for anyone interested in making sense of the socio-political dimensions of technology.