René Girard Philosopher and literary critic René Girard pictured in France, 1990. (more) René Girard French-American literary critic, religion scholar, and philosopher Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rene-Gerard Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: René Noël Théophile Girard Written by Stephanie Frank Stephanie Frank (M. Phil., Oxford University; Ph. D., University of Chicago) teaches and writes about religion, politics, and secularization, illuminating connections between history and our present moment. Stephanie Frank Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 15, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts In full: René Noël Théophile Girard (Show more) Born: December 25, 1923, Avignon, France (Show more) Died: November 4, 2015, Stanford, California, U.S. (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is Renu00E9 Girard known for? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Renu00E9 Girard was a French-born philosopher, literary critic, and scholar of religion who is best known for his theories of mimetic desire and the social role of the scapegoat. These theories have been influential in numerous academic fields and cited by contemporary political figures. His analysis of Freudian psychology and his theological engagement with Christianity have also been influential." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is mimetic desire according to Renu00E9 Girard? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "According to Renu00E9 Girard, mimetic, or imitative, desire is the idea that humans desire things not because of a desire for the thing itself but because others possess or desire those things. This desire then creates distinctive interpersonal dynamics. Girard developed the idea first in his analysis of Romantic literature and later supported it through anthropological analysis. To illustrate, one might imagine a small child who wants a siblingu2019s toy while simultaneously holding a similar toy. Girard saw an analogous dynamic underlying much of human desire, interpersonal relations, and politics." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the scapegoat mechanism in Renu00E9 Girardu2019s theory? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The scapegoat mechanism, according to Renu00E9 Girard, is a societyu2019s method for dissipating tensions by redirecting violence to an outsider, sacrificing the outsider in order to maintain social stability. Building on a wide range of anthropological, historical, and ritual studies, Girard contends that the sacrifice of the innocent scapegoat (whether through death or expulsion) serves to hide and release the interpersonal tensions within a community wrought by mimetic desire." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How have Renu00E9 Girardu2019s ideas been influential? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Renu00E9 Girardu2019s theories of mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism have found wide interest in diverse academic fields, including anthropology, theology, and philosophy, as well as political science and economics. They have also found their way into the cinematic arts and literature, such as in the work of Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. Girardu2019s idea of mimetic desire is regarded as particularly poignant for the study of social media. In fact, the significance of mimetic desire for social media compelled his student and later entrepreneur Peter Thiel to become an early investor in Facebook. Through Thiel, Girardu2019s ideas have been adopted by other political figures on the far-right such as blogger Curtis Yarvin and U.S. Vice Pres. J.D. Vance." } } ] } Top Questions What is René Girard known for? René Girard was a French-born philosopher, literary critic, and scholar of religion who is best known for his theories of mimetic desire and the social role of the scapegoat. These theories have been influential in numerous academic fields and cited by contemporary political figures. His analysis of Freudian psychology and his theological engagement with Christianity have also been influential.

　　What is mimetic desire according to René Girard? According to René Girard, mimetic, or imitative, desire is the idea that humans desire things not because of a desire for the thing itself but because others possess or desire those things. This desire then creates distinctive interpersonal dynamics. Girard developed the idea first in his analysis of Romantic literature and later supported it through anthropological analysis. To illustrate, one might imagine a small child who wants a sibling’s toy while simultaneously holding a similar toy. Girard saw an analogous dynamic underlying much of human desire, interpersonal relations, and politics.

　　What is the scapegoat mechanism in René Girard’s theory? The scapegoat mechanism, according to René Girard, is a society’s method for dissipating tensions by redirecting violence to an outsider, sacrificing the outsider in order to maintain social stability. Building on a wide range of anthropological, historical, and ritual studies, Girard contends that the sacrifice of the innocent scapegoat (whether through death or expulsion) serves to hide and release the interpersonal tensions within a community wrought by mimetic desire.

　　How have René Girard’s ideas been influential? René Girard’s theories of mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism have found wide interest in diverse academic fields, including anthropology, theology, and philosophy, as well as political science and economics. They have also found their way into the cinematic arts and literature, such as in the work of Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. Girard’s idea of mimetic desire is regarded as particularly poignant for the study of social media. In fact, the significance of mimetic desire for social media compelled his student and later entrepreneur Peter Thiel to become an early investor in Facebook. Through Thiel, Girard’s ideas have been adopted by other political figures on the far-right such as blogger Curtis Yarvin and U.S. Vice Pres. J.D. Vance.

　　René Girard (born December 25, 1923, Avignon, France—died November 4, 2015, Stanford, California, U.S.) was a literary critic, scholar, and philosopher whose contributions—numerous and sometimes controversial—spanned the fields of literary theory, philosophy, religious studies, psychology, history, and anthropology. His theory of mimetic desire, which seeks to understand human desire and the conflicts it begets, has been widely influential in academic and artistic work in the 20th and 21st centuries. His work on sacrifice and his theory of the scapegoat have also been influential in academic circles. His ideas have also been cited by political figures such as entrepreneur and investor ...(100 of 2386 words)

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