Rene Girard and scapegoat mechanism

[aron]

Originally Posted by KSA

Girard's theory is basically based on his mimetic theory - that we imitate each others' desires.

yes I remember him talking about two children playing with toys. Suddenly they both want the same one. We learn by imitating others, and we develop values based on what others value. This leads to problems in an environment of scarcity, and thus we build social structures, complete with sacrificial victims and mythological histories, to support them.

[KSA]

Originally Posted by aron

yes I remember him talking about two children playing with toys. Suddenly they both want the same one. We learn by imitating others, and we develop values based on what others value. This leads to problems in an environment of scarcity, and thus we build social structures, complete with sacrificial victims and mythological histories, to support them.

Yes, and the verse from James you quoted earlier sums it up nicely.