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Uncommon Knowledge: René Girard

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Scapegoating: Prehistoric Conflict Resolution 101

03 min 45 sec

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Philosophical anthropologist René Girard discusses the role of scapegoating in the formation of early societies.

He identifies scapegoating as a method of conflict resolution, and that conflicts "have to be resolved…for groups of human beings to gather permanently together."
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36 min 32 sec

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There are 8 comments on this program

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Previous FORAtv comments:

m_EYE_nd

Posted: 04.14.11, 01:38 AM

I don't see how mimicry is a "fraudulent defense mechanism." Defending against what? Originality? It's a great defense mechanism if anything. After birth, you mimic others in order to walk, communicate, etc. If you want to be good at a sport for example, you would mimic one who is considered great at it. What are you defending against is what I am really not understanding. What's wrong with mimicry?

RevJCMitchell

Posted: 10.26.10, 02:30 PM

Read Mark Heim's "Saved From Sacrifice" as it takes Girard's ideas and makes clear the idea of Atonement through the cross.

1skeptik

Posted: 05.10.10, 06:25 PM

Greetings... Urantia? Yes interesting, but the Urantia (1930's) information about our solar system is far from accurate and brings into question credibility of the author. Check into what is said about life on Venus and Mars. We now know Venus to be most inhospitable to any form of life we are familiar with, Urantia claims otherwise. Regards

xobeht

Posted: 04.23.10, 04:09 AM

theskunkhour: You might well be interested in my favorite book, "The Urantia Book" as it explains this universalist foundation Jesus was exampling through his life and his teachings that did not seem to make it into the historic writings this planet has come to know and dogmatize. Your hunch is accurate I believe, you are on to something true. Most religious persons are not deep thinkers, they accept too much unverified tradition and in many cases they accept the superstitions of old that go along with these past traditions.

1skeptik

Posted: 03.02.10, 04:16 PM

The sacrifice or atonement of the "Christ" dying on the cross, forgiving the sins of the masses is much like the ritual of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, an older atonement act where the priest casts the sins of the masses upon a goat which is then set free to meet its end in the wilderness. Is one narrative any more rational then the other?

theskunkhour

Posted: 03.02.10, 02:57 PM

Wow, that confused me in an exciting way. I'll have to watch it again. It definitely doesn't seem to fit with my Alan Watts/Ken Wilber-style understanding of religion. I wish I knew someone who knew Buddhism through-and-through but strongly felt that Christianity is still the only one true religion. Being as honest-hearted/minded a person as I can, Christianity's claim to superiority is one of the hardest things for me to open myself up to because 1) the 'universalist' kind of understanding of these religions, to me, has held the most depth and true understanding and power and meaning and 2) it just feels right to me, because it would require all religions/denominations to bring down their walls in the spirit of "a church divided is no church at all". In the spirit of "I saw no temple in the city (the New Jerusalem)", when we no longer need the bridge of religion because we've finally crossed to the other bank...when we've seen through to the one Single light that shines through all of our religions to create different images that still share a common source...Anyway. As I end all of my messages like this...If you think you could help improve my understanding, please send a friend invite and message to help this seeker along his way. Thanks! : )