The Nonviolent Sacrifice The Role of Tapasya in Nonviolence

According to René Girard, one of the leading thinkers on the role of sacrifice in human society, violence lies at “the foundation of the world” as we know it.¹ His theory holds that violence is part of the dynamic of human communities because human beings are mimetic creatures. Mimesis, according to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSacrifice in Modernity: Community, Ritual, Identity p. 89
Main Author Saskia L. E. van Goelst Meijer
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published BRILL 07.10.2016
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Summary:According to René Girard, one of the leading thinkers on the role of sacrifice in human society, violence lies at “the foundation of the world” as we know it.¹ His theory holds that violence is part of the dynamic of human communities because human beings are mimetic creatures. Mimesis, according to Girard, is the unconscious imitation of desires in which everyone is engaged, which leads people to desire the things their important others desire. Because people desire the same things as the people around them, this eventually leads to intense rivalry. This predicament would create complete social chaos, a situation
ISBN:9004332065
9789004332065
DOI:10.1163/j.ctv2gjwtb8.9