Violence and the Sacred (Bloomsbury Revelations) 1st Edition by René Girard (PDF)

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Violence and the Sacred is René Girard’s landmark study of human evil. Here Girard explores violence as it is represented and occurs throughout history, literature and myth. Girard’s forceful and thought-provoking analyses of Biblical narrative, Greek tragedy and the lynchings and pogroms propagated by contemporary states illustrate his central argument that violence belongs to everyone and is at the heart of the sacred.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Unless you are a sociologist or philosopher, you probably don’t want to read this book. Relying heavily on cultic myths and practices of various religions, Girard attempts to explain why violence is at the center of all societies and religions, and why, in fact, violence gave birth to religion.He ultimately argues that there was an original act of violence which ultimately led to the possibility of the destruction of all people in the community, and so to avoid the ever-increasing cycles of violence, the community selected a ritual victim (a human or an animal) that would both carry the guilt of the community as well as the violent tendencies into death, thus satisfying the demands for revenge and the blood lust that comes with it.He argues that much (all?) of our violence comes from a desire to imitate or have what belongs to another, and this desire leads to a violent action by which we seek to obtain the belongings or knowledge of the other being.There is much more that Girard argues, but I do not recommend it for the average reader. His method of argumentation is laborious and while a discerning reader will benefit much from what Girard writes, the amount of work it takes to find these insights makes this book hardly worth the effort. Though I have not read them yet, I expect that “Things Hidden from the Foundation of the World” and “The Scapegoat” will prove to be more reader-friendly.

⭐Outstanding anthropology, sociology, a deep dive into the weeds of human mythology. Disturbing, challenging, and exciting. Still current as if written for today’s spiritual crises the same as in 1972 when first issued.

⭐Really great book. Seminal work by an important thinker. Will probably write more about it later, after I’ve read more by Girard.

⭐like the out of box thinking

⭐as expected :-DWritten in the best french tradition – nothing is left out bud just written precisely as it should be

⭐Mimesis well discussed.

⭐Violence and religion have gone hand in hand as far back as we have records, from Dionysian revels and ancient human sacrifice to contemporary fundamentalisms that would destroy entire nations or races to preserve some particular version of Truth. In “Violence and the Sacred,” Rene Girard attempts nothing less than to expose the entire history of this alliance.It is impossible to give an adequate summary of this comprehensive and closely reasoned book. But briefly, Girard argues that – pre-historically – it was precisely acts of communal violence and the resulting shock and collective repression that resulted from these acts that generated our very sense of the sacred. And our continuing violence, in all its forms, is a history of attempts to re-experience transcendence.(A word of caution: Early on, those with religious convictions may be tempted to conclude that Girard is reducing religion to a form of collective guilt. **He is not.** Girard is a Christian, and has progressed from literary criticism to critical theory to active efforts to promote methods of constructive, peaceful conflict resolution.)In fleshing out this theory, Girard leans heavily on his insights into the mimetic and violent nature of desire (see his earlier “Deceit, Desire, and the Novel”), and he links mimetic desire, our tendency to marginalize and scapegoat those who are “different,” our tendency toward violence, and our experience of ultimate otherness (the sacred). One of the most impressive aspects of this book is that it constitutes, simultaneously, a response not only to the questions of the origins of violence and religion, but to the key 19th century theorists Marx , Freud (the primal horde scenario, and repression), and Nietzsche, **and** to their late-20th century heirs – Foucault, Lacan, and Derrida (differance).In the end, however, it was not simply Girard’s argument that convinced me, impeccable as it seems. Rather, after working through this book, I began to see the mechanisms of mimetic violence in operation all around me – and within me, as well: consumerism driven by manufactured “needs,” road rage, sibling rivalry, not to mention shamefully misdirected nationalism.In my opinion, this is a very important book. By exposing the mimetic nature of violence and its subtle, often hidden workings, Girard – like a good therapist – gives us a tool to identify and begin to change deeply entrenched patterns of response, in ourselves and the world. But this is not a self-help book. It’s a mature work of social and critical theory, and is definitely not light reading. If you take on “Violence and the Sacred,” stick with it. It will change the way you see the world!

⭐Author Rene Girard’s groundbreaking text on ritual sacrifice and violence is nothing short of extraordinary.Girard tackles the seemingly taboo origins of sacrifice, cultural order as a result, and how violence is as ingrained in our humanity as much as our need for nourishment. Particularly how the act of sacrifice (born out of violence) has influenced societies collective notion of what is “sacred” and what is not.This aspect of necessary sacrifice and violence has manifested in religious rites, particularly the “theory of the surrogate victim.” This key part of Girard’s theory of generative violence offers an explanation of the primordial role that religion plays in primitive societies and of man’s ignorance of this role.Girard also discloses the nature of violence not only during life but after death. The passage into death, Girard asserts, “by a member of the community may provoke (among other difficulties) quarrels among the survivors, for this is always the problem of how to redistribute the dead man’s belongings. In order to meet the threat of maleficent contagion the community must have recourse to the universal model, to generative violence; it must attend to the advice of the sacred itself.”From modern religious beliefs to the metaphorical tales and parables of mythology Girard shows that violence is a natural outgrowth and need of our physical composition and mental attributes. The truth of Girard’s assertions can be found in the historical annals of every race and culture by examining their cultures and beliefs; all of which idealize instead of unilaterally eschew violence through sacrifice. This is not to be confused with the prohibition of murder, for example, which has been and is enforced in nearly every society.I see Girard’s work as unique, powerful, and more important, insightful. This text represents a seminal thrust into previously unchartered territory. A hallmark at five stars without reservation.JP

⭐finally makes sense of the senseless actions of the world we are in… So easy to say I understand so hard to change.

⭐An excellent argument that the roots of all ritual, all culture and even all religion is found in spontaneous generative collective violence and a substitutionary social scapegoat mechanism common to all human groups.

⭐Girard claims to be a ‘philosophical anthropologist’, but clearly has very little anthropological knowledge. In particular, his ideas about the causes of violence and the nature of sacrifice in primitive societies have no foundation whatever in fact. Readers with backgrounds in literary or religious studies should therefore be aware of this, whatever the value of his ideas about literature may be.

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