Class 20: René Girard's Mimetic Theory & Modernity
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Questions and Answers

What is the core concept that René Girard's mimetic theory is based on?

  • Human desire for power
  • Cultural differences and otherness
  • Economic globalization
  • Imitation and reciprocity (correct)

    • How does the immediacy of information in modern times facilitate mimetic processes?

  • By promoting individualism
  • By limiting access to information
  • By facilitating the diffusion of images and imitation (correct)
  • By reducing cultural differences

    • What is a key aspect of modernity that Girard's mimetic theory seeks to explain?

  • The rise of democracy
  • The growth of capitalism (correct)
  • The decline of traditional values
  • All of the above

    • What is the focus of Girard's study of modernity?

    <p>The role of imitation in shaping modern society</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between modern connectivity and cultural differences, according to Girard's theory?

    <p>Connectivity reinforces the awareness of cultural differences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the title of Girard's work that applies his mimetic theory to the study of society and politics?

    <p>Sketches of a Mimetic Anthropology of Society and Politics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of René Girard's mimetic theory in the context of social and political science?

    <p>Highlighting the role of models in shaping individual desires</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Girard's mimetic anthropology, what occurs during social crises?

    <p>Imitative desire spills out of control, leading to mimetic rivalries</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between models and individual desires in mimetic theory?

    <p>Models shape individual desires, making them non-autonomous</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the concept of 'mimetic doubles' in Girard's theory?

    <p>It describes the rivalry between individuals, where each becomes a model-obstacle to the other</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does mimetic theory suggest about individuality and authenticity?

    <p>There is no authenticity or individuality without prior models</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between space and desire in mimetic theory?

    <p>The space between individuals is crucial for mobility of desire</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to René Girard's mimetic theory, what is a primary factor in the formation of power and political order throughout history?

    <p>The scapegoating mechanism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key distinction between mythology and the Gospels, according to Girard's theory?

    <p>Mythology is based on violence, while the Gospels are based on innocence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does mimetic theory contribute to our understanding of social crises, according to Girard?

    <p>It explains the formation of social crises, including international wars and conflicts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the focus of Girard's 'Sketches of a Mimetic Anthropology of Society and Politics'?

    <p>The application of mimetic theory to society and politics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the Gospels' perspective on victims differ from that of pagan rituals, according to Girard?

    <p>The Gospels portray victims as innocent, while pagan rituals justify their sacrifice</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between mimetic theory and the study of modernity, according to Girard?

    <p>Mimetic theory is a theory of social change</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of mimetic theory, the escalation of global terrorism is fueled by the narratives of victimhood and defender against aggression.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The modern world has seen a decline in violent conflicts due to the growing tendency to see oneself as a victim.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    René Girard's mimetic anthropology suggests that human sacrifices are rightly blamed for the growing tendency to see oneself as a victim.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The concept of mimetic doubles is central to understanding the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Girard's mimetic theory suggests that the growing tendency to see oneself as a victim is a result of the decline of sacrificial protection.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The concept of collective victimhood is a key factor in the escalation of new wars.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The polarity in 'low-intensity' new wars is driven by self-representations of collective triumph mobilizing social emotions.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to mimetic theory, the identity of conflict emerges from the intentional decisions of individual leaders.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What appears asymmetrical from the outside view in mimetic rivalry is revealed as symmetrical from the inside view.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Historical shift from suspicion towards trauma, to inauthenticity of trauma: victimhood becomes sacred.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Mimetic anthropology focuses on the sacrificial protection of victims in modern societies.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Social representations of collective triumph have been increasingly used to initiate and justify warlike acts.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Narratives of victimhood often emphasize the role of individual agency in conflicts.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Genealogies of sacred victimhood are a key concept in René Girard's mimetic anthropology.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    New wars are characterized by a shift towards heroic sacrifice and triumphant victimhood.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Mimetic anthropology suggests that the narrative of collective victimhood is a unifying force in modern societies.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Mimetic theory suggests that victimhood is a collective process that applies to categories previously not thought of as victims.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    René Girard's mimetic theory explains the role of moral factors in the genealogies of sacred victimhood.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary driver of the polarity in 'low-intensity' new wars, according to René Girard's mimetic theory?

    <p>Self-representations of collective victimhood mobilizing social emotions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the historical shift from suspicion towards trauma, according to Girard's mimetic anthropology?

    <p>Victimhood becomes sacred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of social representations of collective victimhood in modern conflicts, according to Girard's mimetic theory?

    <p>They are used to initiate and justify warlike acts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between asymmetry and symmetry in mimetic rivalry, according to Girard's mimetic theory?

    <p>What appears asymmetrical from the inside view is revealed as symmetrical from the outside view</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of genealogies of sacred victimhood in René Girard's mimetic anthropology?

    <p>They are a key concept in understanding the narratives of victimhood in modern societies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the focus of René Girard's mimetic anthropology in the context of modernity?

    <p>The study of modernity, particularly the role of victimhood and collective representations in modern conflicts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do narratives of victimhood and defender against aggression contribute to the escalation of global terrorism, according to mimetic theory?

    <p>These narratives legitimize acts of violence and retaliation by portraying oneself as a victim.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the paradox of the modern world, according to René Girard's mimetic theory?

    <p>The attention to the victim and the growing tendency to see oneself as a victim.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the concept of mimetic doubles relate to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, according to Girard's theory?

    <p>The conflict is fueled by the self-representations of the rivals as victims and defenders against aggression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of sacrificial protection in modern societies, according to Girard's mimetic theory?

    <p>Its decline leads to the growing tendency to see oneself as a victim, depriving the modern world of protection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of collective victimhood in new wars, according to mimetic theory?

    <p>It is a key factor in the escalation of new wars, as it creates a sense of collective identity and mobilizes social emotions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does mimetic anthropology approach the study of social crises, according to Girard's theory?

    <p>It focuses on the role of narratives of victimhood and collective victimhood in fuelling conflicts and social crises.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does mimetic theory suggest that collective victimhood emerges and contributes to the initiation of hostilities?

    <p>According to mimetic theory, collective victimhood provides a moral right for the initiation of hostilities against others through self-attributed collective victimhood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do moral factors play in the genealogies of sacred victimhood, according to mimetic theory?

    <p>Moral factors, such as the mass slaughter in the two world wars, shifted the moral center of gravity in warfare from triumphant and heroic sacrifice to cultural traumas and victimhood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does mimetic anthropology view the concept of sacrifice in relation to victimhood?

    <p>Mimetic anthropology suggests that sacrificial protection has been replaced by the concept of sacred victimhood, which is used to justify warlike acts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of new wars, according to mimetic theory?

    <p>New wars are characterized by a shift towards collective victimhood and the use of narratives of victimhood to justify violence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does mimetic theory view the role of individual agency in conflicts?

    <p>Mimetic theory suggests that individual agency is not the primary driver of conflicts, but rather competing sacred representations of victimhood.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between mimetic theory and the study of modernity, in the context of victimhood?

    <p>Mimetic theory suggests that the study of modernity is closely tied to the emergence of collective victimhood and the use of narratives of victimhood to justify violence.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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